Excuses, Excuses
by 11makeawish11
Summary: A collection of blurbs about the different excuses Dick, Wally, and Artemis use when asked about the injuries they received on missions. Based on episodes from the first season!
1. Chapter 1

AN: So I got this idea from my other story, _Intervention._ I'm going to try to keep everything as canon as possible! I'm planning on following Dick, Wally and Artemis throughout the first season. I'll pick a specific point in every episode for each character when they get a significant walloping and write a little blurb about how/what happened and then the outcome/excuse they used to explain themselves. I always enjoy reading reviews, so if you have time please leave one! :) I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING.

* * *

 **Season 1, Episodes 1 & 2: "Independence Day p. 1 & 2"**

 **Robin  
Washington, D.C.  
** **July 4, 23:46 EDT**

 _"I don't wanna do this!" Robin yelled before activating a smoke bomb in the clone's face._

 _Taking advantage of the distraction, Aqualad kicked the clone in the chest, sending him flying across the lab. As he got back on his feet, Robin raised his arm. Aiming for the "S" depicted on the clone's suit, he shot two high-voltage tasers at his chest. They had absolutely no effect, and Robin's eyes widened in fear and surprise as the clone grabbed ahold of the taser wire and yanked him forward._

 _The clone threw him to the floor and then stepped on him like a cockroach._

 _Robin gasped, his hands groping helplessly at the clone's foot._

 _It was like a clamp was fastened over his chest, and every second an invisible hand tightened it one more notch. His suit was designed to withstand pressure but not_ this much _pressure. He couldn't draw a breath, and he felt his ribs beginning to cave in. His vision was starting to go black, and through a ringing in his ears he vaguely heard Aqualad's shout,_

 _"Enough!"_

 _The pressure abruptly disappeared. Robin could breathe again, but his entire body was aching, and his ribs protested as his lungs expanded with every inhale. Aqualad tried to help him up, but as he fought to his knees the world started spinning and he spun with it, toppling backwards onto the floor._

 _He heard Aqualad and the clone scuffling and he tried to will his body to move so that he could help, but the internal struggle only brought him deeper and deeper into unconsciousness._

 **Dick Grayson  
** **Gotham City  
** **July 6, 12:23 EDT**

Dick Grayson sat drumming his fingers impatiently at a booth in the Gotham Diner. Across from him, Barbara Gordon stared idly out the window until a waitress appeared laden with two trays of food. She set them down in front of the pair and then disappeared behind a pair of swinging doors.

Dick reached for his tray and winced – he moved too quickly and tweaked his still-healing ribs. This didn't go unnoticed by Barbara, who narrowed her eyes suspiciously,

"What's wrong?"

Dick hitched on a charming smile, trying to ignore the stabbing pain radiating across his chest.

"What? Nothing."

"You flinched when you reached for your tray, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's great!"

"Really? _Everything_?" Barbara asked skeptically.

"Everything! Honest, Barbara."

Barbara huffed in disbelief and raised her eyebrows,

"Come on, Dick. I know you better than that."

Dick's smile faltered and he bit his lip, looking out the window uncomfortably,

"I don't want to talk about it."

Barbara threw a French fry at him,

"I never keep secrets from you. I tell you everything!"

"Yeah, but this is… _different_."

"Different how?"

Dick huffed impatiently,

"It just is, okay?"

Barbara narrowed her eyes at him,

"No, not okay! Friends don't keep secrets from each other."

Dick avoided her gaze, frowning.

"Come on, Dick."

Dick looked up and met her piercing blue eyes.

"Fine," he sighed, "but it's embarrassing"

Barbara shrugged indifferently, chewing on a French fry,

"I've told you a fair share of embarrassing stories. Remember the incident at the police station?"

Dick grinned awkwardly,

"It's even worse than that… I was sleepwalking and I fell down the marble staircase in Wayne Manor- all _three_ floors."

" _What?_ "

Dick shrugged,

"I landed on my chest and bruised a few ribs."

Barbara blinked and then laughed,

"Well that's not so bad. I was expecting something much worse."

"Worse than nearly killing myself in my sleep?"

Barbara laughed again,

"At least you didn't do it consciously- now _that_ would be embarrassing. Although…" she grinned deviously, "maybe you should install a pet gate at the top of the stairs. Or keep a mattress at the foot of the stairs. You know, to soften your landing."

Dick glowered at her,

"Oh ha, ha. Very funny. You and the Joker should start a comedy club."

Barbara grinned and threw another French fry at him, but Dick caught it as easily as a birdarang and tossed it in his mouth.

"Nice catch," Barbara commented.

Dick grinned, but as he chewed, he couldn't ignore the words echoing in his head: _friends don't keep secrets from each other._

* * *

 **Kid Flash  
** **Washington, D.C.  
** **July 5, 00:34 EDT**

 _"But I've finally got room to move!"_

 _Kid Flash lowered his goggles and took off up the stairs, his adrenaline pumping faster with each step. He saw the pack of genomes approaching and braced himself before ramming through them, knocking them to the side._

 _When he finally reached the hallway, his stomach dropped at the sight of the closing doors._

 _"Holy crud!"_

 _He wasn't going to make it, but he was going too fast, he wasn't going to stop in time –_

 _WHAM._

 _Kid Flash saw stars as his head slammed into the closed doors and he tumbled backwards in agony._

 _A shooting pain was ricocheting around the inside of his skull, and even though he was laying flat on his back the world was spinning like a carousel. He knew that he didn't have much time – the genomes were approaching fast and he doubted the clone could punch his way through the doors before they were surrounded._

 _Rubbing the side of his head in a vain attempt to soothe the pain, Kid Flash sat up slowly. Just then, Aqualad rushed into the hall and saw the sealed door –_

 _"We're cut off from the street!" he shouted._

 _"Thanks," Kid Flash said sarcastically, "my head hadn't noticed."_

 **Wally West  
** **Central City  
** **July 6, 02:25 CDT**

Wally West's stomach growled as he laid on his bed, listening to the sounds of his mom's book club meeting going on downstairs. For the past half hour he had been weighing the pros and cons of venturing downstairs to the kitchen. So far, he had come up with several cons and only one pro:

Pros: food.

Cons: his mom's friends would no doubt try to engage him in conversation or pester him with questions. Whether it was asking him about school, his friends – or why he had a violently violet bruise decorating his forehead and temple.

His stomach growled again and he sighed.

Better just get it over with.

He tiptoed out of his room and briefly considered just speeding through the living room, but it was unlikely that a random gust of wind would go unnoticed, and he knew that his mom would chew him out about it later.

Prepared to succumb himself to the worst, Wally began the descent downstairs. He hadn't even stepped on the landing when several women shouted out greetings,

"Wallace!"

"Oh, look how big he's gotten!"

"Come over here and say hello, dear!"

Wally forced a smile that looked more like a grimace and trudged over.

An elderly lady seated next to Wally's mother narrowed her eyes,

"Wallace, what have you done to your head?"

Wally raised a hand to gingerly prod the dark purple bruise decorating his head,

"Oh, you know me. Always getting myself into trouble."

The woman gave him a stern look,

"You're not still climbing trees, now, are you?"

Wally forced a laugh,

"Not anymore, no. I went for a walk the other day and I, uh… well, I kind of tripped on the curb and slammed my head on a stop sign."

Several members of the club began talking at once:

"Oh, how dreadful!"

"You poor thing!"

"You young people don't pay any attention to where you're going nowadays!" The elderly woman exclaimed, her voice drowning out all the others, "it's a wonder you didn't walk headfirst into traffic! I bet you were on one of those _pocket phones_ , weren't you?!"

"No, I was –"

"When I was your age I didn't have any of that nonsense!" The elderly woman proclaimed before launching into a heated rant about the many problems with "today's technology."

Wally politely pretended to listen, occasionally nodding his head or offering a smile. But as she spoke he began to inch his way across the room, taking small, discrete steps backwards. He stopped when he felt his heel kick the kitchen door, and groped behind his back for the door knob.

When the elderly woman paused her monologue to catch her breath he seized his chance –

"Well it was really nice seeing you all. I wish I could stay and chat, but I… well, I'm going to make myself a sandwich."

Without waiting for a response, he quickly ducked inside the kitchen and slammed the door shut behind him. He took a deep breath and rushed over to the calendar, where he scanned the upcoming month for his mom's next book club meeting.

 _Next time,_ he thought to himself, _I'm spending the afternoon at Dick's._


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Hello all! _Thank you_ for all the follows, favorites, and reviews! This episode was kind of tricky- there was only a few minutes of fighting and not a lot of significant walloping. I did the best that I could, but I'm really looking forward to the coming episodes! :) I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING.

* * *

 **Season 1, Episode 3: "Welcome to Happy Harbor"**

 **Kid Flash  
Happy Harbor  
July 18, 12:38 EDT**

 _Kid Flash rushed inside the Happy Harbor Power Plant alongside the rest of the team, arriving in time to see a scarlet android fling the Boy Wonder against a wall._

 _"Who's your new friend?" Superboy asked, landing neatly beside Robin._

 _"Didn't catch his name, but he plays kinda rough!" Robin answered from the floor._

 _"My apologies!" The perpetrator said in a robotic voice, "You may address me as Mister Twister."_

 _And with that, he raised his hands, instantly creating two miniature wind funnels. Kid Flash watched as Superboy attempted to fight his way through them, only to get caught in the gust. He was flung against the wall, and he fell with a resounding thud. After exchanging a meaningful look with at M'Gann and Aqualad, Kid Flash retrieved his googles from his pocket._

 _He burst forward, flipping on his hands to deliver a kick to Mister Twister's chest- but the robot was already one step ahead. Trapping him in a whirlwind, he carelessly threw him aside, out the door, and onto the grass. He fell hard, tumbling and sliding against the ground. He felt the dirt sting his arms and legs through his civilian clothes, and pebbles embed themselves in his skin. He slid several yards, leaving clouds of dust in his wake. When he finally came to a stop, his body flopped limply on a pile of dirt, and he stared up at the clear sky as he lost consciousness._

 **Wally West  
Central City  
July 19, 17:05 CDT**

"Wallace West you are _not_ going out like that! You look like someone took a cheese grater to your skin!"

Wally glared at his mother from across the kitchen. He stood at the threshold, a duffle bag hitched on his shoulder and his arms and legs covered with angry red road rash.

"Come on, no one's going to notice!" Wally whined, "I'm going to run straight to the zeta tubes and-"

"Absolutely not!" His mom said, stirring a pot of macaroni with slightly too much fervor.

"What if I wore my jacket?" He offered.

"In the middle of July?!"

Wally groaned,

"Robin goes out all the time when he's beat up!"

"And I'm sure he has enough sense to come up with a plausible excuse for his injuries!"

"Well, duh! He has _Batman_ help him come up with cover stories! I'm not that creative – left brained, remember?" Wally said, tapping the side of his head.

"Well maybe Barry can help you come up with something. But until then you're not leaving this house."

"Gahh! Come on, mom! The team's spending the night at the cave and Megan's making cookies- I have to go!"

"Well then you better think of a good reason why you look like you went through a blender," she said shortly.

Wally frowned,

"Can't I just say that I- that I fell riding my bike, or something?"

His mom sighed in exasperation,

" _Oh, Wally_."

"What?! Isn't that how normal people get road rash?"

"Not covering their entire body!"

"Fine!" He paused, thinking, "How about I say I was riding my bike through a trail in the woods… but I lost control when I was going down a hill and- and I fell off my bike and ended up rolling all the way down to the bottom. There! How does that sound?"

His mom turned from the stove to stare at him, frowning slightly,

"Well, if that's the best you can come up with-"

"Do you have any better ideas?" Wally asked smartly.

His mom pointed at him threateningly with the wooden spoon she was using to stir the pot,

"Don't get smart with me."

Wally rolled his eyes,

"Sorry, sorry... does this mean I can go to the cave now?" He asked hopefully.

His mom sighed,

"I suppose… but _make sure_ you're back by noon tomorrow!" She added sternly "Jay and Joan are coming over for lunch, remember?"

"Yeah, sure!" Wally said, hitching his duffle bag higher on his shoulder.

He ran forward and gave her a fleeting hug before rushing out the door. When he was gone, Wally's mom sighed, rubbing her temples. A few seconds later, she whipped around at the sound of a hissing, bubbling sound coming from the stove – her pot of macaroni had overflow, spilling noodles and water onto the floor.

"Oh, for goodness sake!"

* * *

 **Robin  
Happy Harbor  
July 18, 12:39 EDT**

 _"We're_ not _children!"_

 _Robin whipped his birdarangs with flawless precision, but Mister Twister had seen this coming. Without so much as lifting his arms, he generated a tumult whirlwind that blew them off course._

 _"Objectively, you are," he said whilst carelessly flicking away a lone birdarang embedded in his chest, "Have you no adult supervision? I find your presence here quite… disturbing."_

 _"Well, we hate to see you disturbed!" Robin yelled, "Let's see if you're more_ turbed _once we kick your can!"_

 _M'Gann used her telekinesis to crush a machine above Mister Twister, showering him in steam. Superboy jumped through the haze, preparing to land a blow on the robot, but he meet the same fate as Robin's birdarangs. He was thrown backwards by a gust of wind, colliding with the ceiling before falling back and crashing into M'Gann. As they tumbled to the floor, Robin and Aqualad ran side by side towards the robot._

 _Before he knew what was happening, he was swept off his feet and being tossed around in circles. He yelled in surprise- and then came the sickening_ crash _of his chest colliding with Aqualad's._

 _"UGH!"_

 _His ribs, which were very nearly healed from their encounter with Superboy's foot, were now aching unbearably. As he lay on his back taking slow, painful breaths, he heard Mister Twister's robotic voice:_

 _"Indeed… that was quite_ turbing. _Thank you._ "

 _Robin rolled to the side and glared at his retreating back,_

Yeah, turbing for you, _he thought angrily._

* * *

 **Dick Grayson  
Gotham City  
July 19, 19:52 EDT**

Dick Grayson tugged uncomfortably at his tie.

He was standing in front of a mirror in the master bedroom of Wayne Manor, preparing for a fundraising event that Bruce had organized to raise money for an orphanage in Gotham. His suit was slightly too tight, and he hated the constricting feeling of anything around his neck. In the reflection of the mirror, he saw Bruce walk into the room.

"Stop fidgeting. It will only make it worse- trust me," he said, the corner of his mouth twitching as he stared down at his ward.

Dick glared at him,

"I hate these things… everyone's staying at the cave tonight and I'm stuck here."

Bruce frowned at him,

"It's for a good cause. And it's been a while since we held an event, you know how important it is to keep up appearances."

Dick mumbled indistinctly as Alfred knocked on the door,

"Master Bruce, the first guest has arrived."

"Thank you, Alfred," Bruce said, straightening his own tie in the mirror, "Come on. Let's get this over with."

Bruce and Dick descended the marble staircase to meet the first guest, a portly man with red hair and a very large mustache.

"Mr. Johnson, I'm so glad you could make it," Bruce said as he shook his hand professionally.

"Honored to be here, Mr. Wayne! Such a pleasure seeing you again. And you, too, Mr. Grayson,"

He turned to Dick and clapped him heartily on the back. Dick unwillingly let out a grunt of pain and the man looked at him in concern,

"Everything all right m'boy?"

Dick forced a smile,

"Fine. I just had an accident the other day and-"

"Good golly, what kind of an accident? It's not serious, is it?"

"Oh no, not at all, sir. I was just lifting weights in the gym and I lost my grip," He shrugged, "I didn't have a spotter so the bar fell on my chest."

The man shook his head sympathetically,

"You young men try too hard! I think it's the influence of that _Batman,_ " he said in an undertone to Bruce.

Bruce's expression remained impassive, but Dick struggled to keep the smirk off his face. He opened his mouth to respond, but was saved by the sudden arrival of several more guests.

"Well, I'll let you get to it, then," the man said, glancing over Dick's shoulder to the refreshment table.

"Thank you again for coming," Bruce said kindly, "and I hope you enjoy your evening."

"Thank you, thank you," the man said before turning to Dick, "You be more careful, now! You're ward to a multi-billionaire, don't want to go off killing yourself!" He gave a hearty chuckle and Dick grinned uncomfortably,

"Right…"

As the man walked away, Dick sighed and raised an eyebrow at Bruce,

"It's going to be a _long_ night."


	3. Chapter 3

AN: WOW. SO. Re-watching these episodes has made me realize what a beating Superboy and Kaldur get on these missions. Unfortunately (for me) Robin and KF? Not so much. Their injuries might seem far-fetched, but I hardly believe they would make it out of such a fight unscathed, so I took the liberty of expanding on some minor incidents. Let me know what you think! :) I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING.

* * *

 **Season 1, Episode 4: "Drop Zone"**

 **Robin  
Santa Prisca  
July 22, 22:03 ECT**

 _"I know you hate getting your hands dirty!" Robin taunted._

 _"True," Kobra said defiantly, shrugging off his cloak, "but sometimes even a god must stoop to conquer."_

 _Robin sprang forward._

 _He jumped when he was within arm's reach of Kobra and brought his knee up to land a kick in his face. Kobra blocked this effortlessly, and Robin dropped, undeterred, to the ground. He landed deftly and swung his leg out to knock Kobra off his feet, but Kobra simply raised his foot._

 _Robin sprung back up, aiming another kick at his face- but Kobra stopped him in his tracks._

 _It felt like kicking a brick wall, and Robin heard rather than felt a distinct_ crack _when Kobra closed his fingers around his ankle. He arched his back, and Kobra kicked him away. He landed neatly, trying to ignore the stab of pain in his ankle._

 _"What's wrong, boy?" Kobra jeered, "You look disconcerted."_

 _Robin narrowed his eyes, and biting back the pain, he lunged at Kobra once more._

 **Dick Grayson  
Gotham City  
July 24, 16:29 EDT**

Dick Grayson sat on the sofa in the family room of Wayne Manor, aimlessly flipping through the hundreds of channels available on the HD-TV. His foot was elevated on several pillows, and a bag of ice was propped on top of his red and swollen ankle. He paused briefly on a news report of the weather,

 _"And we've got sunny skies ahead for today in Gotham! The rest of the week will follow with a high of-"_

"There's nothing to watch!" Dick moaned, tossing the remote aside.

Just then, his cell phone rang. Glancing at it, he saw Barbara's name pop up on the screen. He quickly grabbed it and answered the call,

"Hey, Barb! What's up?"

"Hi, Dick. Want to come over for dinner? My dad's ordering pizza."

Dick glanced at his swollen ankle,

"I can't. I'm housebound."

"Why?"

"I, uh, twisted my ankle."

There was a moment of silence at the end of the line, and then Barbara sighed,

"What did you do _this_ time?"

Dick chuckled sheepishly,

"I was walking home yesterday and I took a shortcut through the old alleyway in downtown Gotham – you know, the one with the out of order telephone booth?"

"Yeah…" Barbara said slowly.

"Well, the sidewalk there is all cracked and lopsided, and it was getting dark so I couldn't really see, and I tripped on a broken piece of the sidewalk and my ankle twisted when I fell."

For a few seconds the line was quiet, and then Barbara sighed,

" _Really?_ "

"Really."

"Oh, Dick." Barbara groaned.

"It's fine, though! Alfred think's I'll be back on my feet in a few days."

"You're really something else, you know that?" Barbara sighed.

Dick's eyes flickered to the TV screen as the news changed to a report of the recent incident in Santa Prisca.

 _"And Gotham's very own Boy Wonder was on the scene-"_

A picture of Robin in uniform flashed on the screen and Dick grinned,

"Yeah, I know. I really am…"

* * *

 **Kid Flash  
Santa Prisca  
July 22, 21:03 ECT**

 _"Yeah, yeah, just as soon as I find Rob."_

 _Kid Flash raced forward, but the soft terrain made it difficult for him to keep friction. He slipped and landed hard, the momentum from his fall propelling him forward. He tumbled down a hill and through the undergrowth. As he scraped through bushes and thorns, he made a mental note to thank the Justice League for designing his Kevlar suit to protect his skin from acquiring road rash._

 _"Aahh!"_

 _He suddenly burst from the undergrowth and landed on all fours in the middle of a clearing. Rubbing his head, he looked up and found himself face to face with Bane._

 _"So much for the stealthy…" he said nervously._

 _Bane narrowed his eyes and raised his gun, littering the ground around Kid Flash with bullets. He quickly did a backflip and sprinted in the opposite direction, but as he ran he felt the pounding of bullets as they hammered into his back before ricocheting off the Kevlar._

 _As he dodged behind a tree, Kid Flash made another mental note to thank the Justice League for developing his_ bulletproof _Kevlar suit._

 **Wally West  
Central City  
July 24, 16:35 CDT**

Wally West stood in his room, staring at his bare back in the mirror over his dresser. His skin was decorated with over a dozen quarter-sized bruises, ranging in color from light purple to almost black. One particularly nasty welt was situated directly over his shoulder blade, and he felt it throb whenever he moved his arm.

His phone suddenly vibrated and he glanced at the caller ID before grinning and picking up,

"What's up, Boy Wonder?"

"How many times do I have to tell you _not_ to say that when we're off-duty?!" Came Dick Grayson's annoyed voice from the other end.

Wally chortled,

"Yeah, yeah… what's up?"

"Can you catch a zeta to Gotham? I'm bored out of my brains here, and Alfred won't let me leave the couch."

Wally laughed as he shrugged on a t-shirt,

"Can't you just ninja your way past him?"

Dick guffawed,

"This is the guy who raised the Batman _,_ he knows _all_ the tricks… Come on, we've got a fully stocked fridge!"

Wally sighed,

"I wish I could, dude, but I can't."

"Why not?"

"My back's covered in welts and my mom won't let me out of the house until I have an excuse."

"No one's gonna see your back!"

"Chyea, try telling that to _her._ "

Dick sighed impatiently,

"So then make up some cover story and get over here! Alfred's making pizza for dinner."

Wally ran a hand down the side of his face,

"What kind of cover story?! I look like I have chicken pox on steroids!"

Dick laughed,

"When that happened to me last summer I told people that I went paintballing. They seemed to buy it."

Wally was silent as he mulled this over,

"That could work…"

"Great! So run to the zeta tubes and get here A-S-A-P!"

"On my way!"

Wally hung up and quickly grabbed his sneakers before running down the stairs,

"Mom!" he called from the doorway, "I'm going out!"

* * *

AN: Only one more episode until the arrival of Artemis! Don't forget to review! :)


	4. Chapter 4

AN: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING.

* * *

 **Season 1, Episode 5: "Schooled"**

 **Robin  
** **Gotham City  
** **August 3, 21:23 EDT**

 _Robin released a birdarang, sending it spiraling towards Amazo._

 _"_ _Martian Manhunter."_

 _The android instantly became intangible. The birdarang harmlessly passed through him and exploded on the opposite wall._

 _"_ _Access Red Tornado."_

 _Robin watched as a whirlwind was generated around Amazo, propelling him forward. As he approached the group, Robin felt the overpowering gusts of wind. He was swept of his feet and thrown backwards, yelling in surprise as he and Superboy soared through the air._

 _Robin felt pain shoot from his shoulder and travel down his arm as he landed on the hard gym floor,_

 _"_ _UGH!"_

 _He sat up, rubbing his shoulder, and watched as Amazo accessed Captain Atom and shot a beam at Kid Flash. Robin struggled to get to his feet, his entire arm aching. He heard Superboy shout, and looked up in time to see Amazo throw him back onto the bleachers._

 _Disregarding his throbbing shoulder, Robin procured two more birdarangs and flung them at the android._

 **Dick Grayson  
** **Gotham City  
** **August 5, 13:06 EDT**

Clad in a swimsuit, Dick Grayson skipped down the marble staircase in Wayne Manor. He had his signature sunglasses resting on the bridge of his nose and a towel slung carelessly over his shoulder. At the foot of the stairs, Alfred Pennyworth was bustling around the dining room table, clearing the dishware from breakfast. He glanced up as Dick descended and raised an eyebrow,

"Going somewhere, Master Richard?"

"Bruce finally got the filter fixed in the indoor pool, so Barbara's coming over to go swimming," Dick responded.

Alfred sighed,

"Do try not to pop any more inflatables. Master Bruce was _very_ displeased after the last time you two went swimming."

Dick chuckled and grinned,

"I'll try my best… Hey, did you see the news this morning? They talked about the Academy!"

"I did indeed," Alfred answered, "I suppose you're quite disappointed that school is scheduled to start on time."

Dick shrugged,

"I assumed as much. Private school dollars have to go _somewhere,_ they might as well use it to renovate everything we destroyed."

The corner of Alfred's mouth twitched as he bent down to pick up a stack of dirty plates.

"Let me get that for you!" Dick offered, striding over to help.

His towel slipped as he took the dishes, revealing a nasty purplish-black bruise covering his swelled shoulder and upper arm.

"Master Richard!" Alfred gasped.

Dick followed his gaze and shrugged,

"It looks worse than it feels – trust me."

Alfred gave him _the_ look,

"And what are you going to tell Miss Gordon? I doubt she'll fail to notice a welt of that size!"

Dick made his way to the kitchen, looking over his shoulder as he spoke,

"I'm just going to tell her that I was helping you with some chores and I fell off a ladder when I was dusting the chandelier."

Alfred followed Dick into the kitchen and raised an eyebrow as he let the dishes clatter into the sink,

"Well, Master Richard, in that case the chandelier _does_ need to be dusted…"

* * *

 **Kid Flash  
** **Gotham City  
** **August 3, 21:29 EDT**

 _"_ _Superman."_

 _Kid Flash wasn't sure how this had happened._

 _One second he was sprinting towards Amazo, his shoes squeaking on the gymnasium floor – and the next thing he knew the android's arms were wrapped tightly around his upper body, literally_ squeezing _the life out of him._

 _"_ _AAHH!"_

 _His entire body was shaking – he could feel his ribs starting to splinter – they couldn't withstand much more of this pressure – his insides were going to explode – his parents were going to_ kill _him!_

 _And then, without warning, he felt the android's body vibrate as he spoke –_

 _"_ _Martian Manhunter."_

 _His arms disappeared and Wally fell to the ground. He wasted no time in getting out of the robot's reach by sprinting to the other side of the gym, but he circled back around almost immediately to knock Robin out of the line of fire._

 _"_ _GAH!"_

 _"_ _AH!"_

 _They tumbled to a stop, both breathing heavily and too tired to move. They couldn't hear exactly what was going on at the other side of the gym, but it sounded like Ivo was talking to Superboy. Robin got to his feet first and Kid Flash reluctantly followed._

 _"_ _It makes me ANGRY!"_

 _They turned in unison as Superboy bounded from the floor to Ivo's spot on the bleachers,_

 _"_ _Wanna see me CHANNEL that anger?!"_

 _Wally inwardly groaned,_

 _"_ _Great, he's gone ballistic again!"_

 **Wally West  
** **Central City  
** **August 5, 19:27 CDT**

Wally West slumped down his driveway, one hand holding a garbage bag while the other cradled his torso. When he reached the curb he dumped the bag into a garbage can and then bent over, wheezing. He silently cursed himself for laughing at Dick's gait after Superboy stomped on his chest during their first mission – it was a good thing the acrobat couldn't see him now.

"Are you all right, Wally?"

Wally's head jerked up. His neighbor stood at the end of her driveway, patiently waiting as her dog did his business by a fire hydrant.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine," Wally panted, straightening up and trying to smile – she was very pretty.

His neighbor frowned concernedly,

"You seem out of breath, is everything okay?"

Wally shrugged, regretting it instantly as pain sparked through his chest,

"Yeah – ow."

"What's wrong?" She asked, pulling lightly on her dog's leash as he tried to wander away.

Wally sighed and began to recite the excuse that Barry had helped him concoct,

"My family had a friendly game of touch football the other day and my uncle got a little carried away. He tackled me when I wasn't expecting it and I bruised a few ribs," Wally rolled his eyes, trying to appear nonchalant, "It's no big, I can take it."

The girl shook her head sympathetically,

"My boyfriend's quarterback for his college football team and he bruises his ribs all the time. It's very painful, isn't it?"

Wally felt himself deflate a bit when she said "boyfriend," but he bounced back quickly,

"Yeah, it _is_ pretty painful… why don't you come over later and keep me company? You know, to distract me from the pain."

The girl laughed as her dog tugged on the leash,

"You're cute… But I'd better go before he starts barking," She gestured to the dog, who was now whining, "feel better soon, Wally!"

She waved and turned to walk in the opposite direction. Wally grinned as he watched her leave,

 _She thinks I'm cute? Score!_

* * *

AN: Next chapter features the debut of Artemis! Please review :)


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Hello all! As usual, thank you for all reviews, favorites and follows! Unfortunately, Robin wasn't involved in any of the fight scenes in this episode (too busy neutralizing the fog) so this chapter focuses on Kid Flash and the debut of Artemis! Enjoy! :) I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING.

* * *

 **Season 1, Episode 6: "Infiltrator"**

 **Kid Flash  
** **Happy Harbor  
** **August 8, 22:16 EDT**

 _As he casually leaned on a wall beside a set of lockers, Kid Flash fought to keep his negative thoughts to himself. This was proving to be incredibly difficult – predominantly because several other people had access to his thoughts, including the subject of his negativity._

 _Kid Flash clenched his jaw. Who_ was _she? Why did she think she could just show up unannounced, uninvited, and unwanted? Red Arrow was opposed to the team to begin with, and now – thanks to her – he might never join._

 _Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, he saw movement. His senses went into high alert, momentarily distracting him from his brooding. He rushed forward to investigate, and rounded a corner in time to see a shadow disappear down a hallway. Preoccupied with following it, he didn't notice the marbles spread out on the floor as he ran through a pair of doors,_

 _"WHOOOA!"_

 _He instantly lost his footing, stumbling backwards and landing hard on his back. With the wind knocked out of him, he had no chance to react before a foot appeared out of nowhere and landed a kick straight to his head, sending him plummeting into darkness._

 **Wally West  
** **Central City  
** **August 9, 13:00 CDT**

The gym teacher glared at Wally West as he sauntered across the gymnasium,

"West! Get your backside into the locker room and change into your uniform now or so help me I'll have you re-taking this course in summer school!"

Wally procured a yellow excusal slip from his pocket and waved it flamboyantly in the gym teacher's face,

"Sorry, coach, no-can-do! Doctor's orders."

The gym teacher grabbed the note and read it quickly, a vein in his forehead starting to throb as his eyes traveled down the paper,

"Good gravy, West! It's the second day of school!"

Wally shrugged,

"My brain needs time to heal, and it's kind of hard for it to do that when it's being pegged with dodgeballs."

The gym teacher crushed the slip in his fist,

"You're more sickly than my mother – and she's 92! What have you done to yourself his time?!"

"I have a mild concussion," Wally said as he rubbed the side of his head.

" _How?_ " The gym teacher asked through his teeth.

"I, uh, slipped after my mom mopped the kitchen floor," Wally replied sheepishly.

"Good gosh," the gym teacher muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Yeah, it was pretty bad. I was on my way to the fridge but I fell back and slammed my head on the linoleum."

The gym teacher exhaled sharply through his nose,

"Fine," he glanced at the crumpled excusal slip, "No physical activity for fourteen days? Write me a fourteen page paper on the rules and regulations of dodgeball."

Wally's face fell,

" _What?!_ "

The gym teacher put his whistle between his lips and blew hard,

"Due in two weeks! _No_ excuses!"

* * *

 **Artemis  
** **Happy Harbor  
** **August 8, 23:05 EDT**

 _Artemis jumped onto the roof, her eyes on the assassin. She notched an arrow in her bow and approached the lifeless body cautiously. The gas ought to have knocked her out cold, and she shouldn't be regaining consciousness anytime soon – but when you're dealing with the Shadows it's better to stay on the side of caution._

 _She was right. When she was within arm's reach the assassin kicked her leg out and swept Artemis's feet out from beneath her. She fell back, landing hard on her backside and then smacking her head on the concrete. Her vision went black for a few seconds, and she saw white dots explode behind her closed eyelids._

 _"Mask has built-in filters." The assassin said shrewdly._

 _Ignoring the sharp pain at the back of her head, Artemis slowly opened her eyes and aimed at kick at the assassin, but she grabbed her foot and twisted her around, seizing her wrist and holding her arm behind her back._

 _"Better luck next time, kid," the assassin hissed in her ear before elbowing her in the back and sending her tumbling off the roof._

 **Artemis Crock  
** **Gotham City  
** **August 9, 01:24 EDT**

Artemis Crock hurried home, her hands shoved deep into her jacket pockets. She'd quickly changed into her civvies after her confrontation with Red Arrow, and now she kept her head down and walked fast, eager to reach her apartment complex after that disastrous first mission.

Of all of the assassins the Shadows could have sent, it just had to be _her._ And after all this time she still knew exactly what to say to get Artemis to do whatever she wanted.

 _"I wonder if your position's secure enough to survive them learning_ everything _I know."_

Artemis grit her teeth. How is it that she can still find a way to manipulate her – even when they're on different sides of the fight?

 _It's how she was raised_ , said a voice in the back of her head, _how_ _we_ both _were raised_. Artemis shook her head, _well at least it wasn't Sportsmaster._

She shuddered at the thought and then quickened her pace. Her spirits rose as her apartment came into view – she was just blocks away from a nice, warm bath. However, her spirits were dampened when she arrived and found her crooked old neighbor perched on the stoop outside, smoking a cigar. Artemis avoided his gaze as she made her way to the door, but as she fumbled with the keys he chuckled softly,

"What happened to your head?"

"What?"

The man pointed to the back of her head with his cigar,

"You've got blood in your hair."

Artemis reached back and ran her hand through her hair, mildly surprised when it got caught on thick, congealed blood.

"It's nothing."

"Talk back to your old man again?" her neighbor asked.

Artemis' hands curled into a fist around her key,

"No."

The man chuckled again,

"Is your sister in town, then?"

Artemis felt the blood rush to her face, and she turned to look him in the eye,

 _"No."_

The man took a long drag on his cigar and stared at her, expectantly. Artemis grimaced, thinking fast,

"I – I hit my head when I was getting out of my friend's car… She has a convertible and she was putting the top down as I was getting out."

"Ah," he grinned, exposing yellow and stained teeth, "never knew you had a friend with a _convertible._ "

Artemis scowled at him, firmly shoving her key into the lock,

"Well there's a lot you don't know about me."

She swung open the door and quickly stepped inside, letting the door slam shut behind her.

"Artemis? Is that you?"

Her mom wheeled her way out of living room and Artemis hitched on a smile,

"Yeah, mom, I'm home."

Her mom smiled and beckoned her over,

"Come, sit down! Tell me _everything_ about your new team!"

* * *

AN: I really like this chapter! It was a lot of fun writing Artemis and I've been waiting to use the gym teacher for one of Wally's excuses! What do you think? Please review! :)


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Hello again! Thank you for all the reviews! Unfortunately, throughout this episode "The Robin" was with "The Batman" doing "The Dynamic Duo" thing, so this chapter will focus once again on solely Kid Flash and Artemis. I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING.

* * *

 **Season 1, Episode 7: "Denial"**

 **Artemis  
** **Salem  
** **August 19, 22:42**

 _"_ _Wally, we're in trouble!" Artemis heard M'Gann shout over the mind link, "Tell Kent we need Dr. Fate!"_

 _Artemis shot her last arrow at Abra Kadabra, but he deflected it with ease. She watched helplessly as he flicked his wand, sending a stream of lightning rushing towards her. She fell to her knees and the lightning formed a net, trapping her on the floor._

 _It felt like every nerve in her body was on fire. Artemis balled her hands into her fists and screamed. As she lay on the floor with nothing to do but writhe in agony, she suddenly became hyperaware of all of her senses. She could feel the cold floor beneath her, and hear the screams of teammates resonating in the empty chamber. She could smell the heat radiating off the shock waves – her tongue tasted like copper, and even through her closed eyelids she could see the blinding light from the electric cords holding her down._

 _The seconds ticked by, but they felt like minutes, and the minutes felt like hours. Artemis had no idea how long she laid there, analyzing her every sense in agony – but then, all at once, it stopped. She got to her feet as soon as the cords disappeared, but her heart was racing and the movement made her head spin. She stood back as Superboy approached Kadabra, and from the sidelines she watched with satisfaction as he landed a punch right in his face,_

 _"_ _Show's over."_

 **Artemis Crock  
** **Mount Justice  
** **August 20, 03:11 EDT**

Artemis Crock sat on the edge of a bed in the med lab of the cave. An IV was stuck in the crease of her elbow and she watched the medicine drip, impassively counting the seconds between each drop. She heard footsteps approaching and turned expectantly as Robin appeared in the threshold of the doorway, grinning,

"Electric shocks, huh? I always miss all the fun."

Artemis snorted,

"I'd hardly call it fun, but whatever you say, Boy Wonder."

Robin laughed and took a seat in one of the chairs next to the bed,

"How do you feel?"

"My heartbeat's finally back to normal, but I still feel like I have pins and needles all over my body and every once in a while my muscles will spaz," Artemis shrugged, "but I've felt worse."

Robin grinned,

"At least you didn't get any burns. By tomorrow you'll be good as new, and you won't have to come up with some crazy excuse!"

The corners of Artemis's mouth twitched,

"That's true, I guess… how was patrol in Gotham?"

"The usual – stopped a couple robberies, beat up a few bad guys. Nothing that can compare to a trip to the Tower of Fate," Robin hesitated, "I heard about Kent."

Artemis hung her head,

"There was nothing we could do. Wally tried giving him CPR but he was already gone, Klarion's spell hit him right over his heart."

Robin shook his head sadly,

"Have you talked to Wally?"

"No," Artemis said sharply, "why?"

Robin shrugged,

"I heard he put on the Helmet of Fate. I wanted to know what happened in there."

Artemis paused, thinking,

"He didn't say."

Robin got up from the chair and stretched,

"I'm going to see if he's still around. You sure you're feeling okay?"

Artemis nodded and watched Robin disappear out the door.

A while later, when the IV bag was finally empty, Artemis removed the needle from her arm and set off down the hallway. She paused outside Wally's souvenir room and leaned on the doorframe, watching the speedster carefully place the Helmet of Fate on a shelf. Her arrow was among his souvenirs, as was _her_ mask… Artemis shook her head and cleared her throat,

"You never said what happened to you – when you put on the helmet."

"Energy from the thing rewrote my brain's beta waves. I was bio scripted into becoming Dr. Fate for a few minutes. No big," Wally said nonchalantly.

"Wait – you're still claiming there's no such thing as magic?" she gave a humorless laugh, "If that's how you feel, why keep it at all?"

Wally glanced at the helmet before answering,

"Souvenir."

" _Geek!_ "

* * *

 **Kid Flash  
** **Salem  
** **August 19, 22:47 EDT**

 _"_ _Brat!"_

 _From within the helmet, Kid Flash watched in a mixture of awe and disbelief as Dr. Fate shot a spell at Klarion, forcing him to teleport himself out of the line of fire. He reappeared suddenly behind the Lord of Order and retaliated with his own spell. Kid Flash saw the curse strike Dr. Fate's back, and not a second later his knees gave out as he felt the force of the spell hit his own back. It was like he was being stabbed with spears of fire, and he could feel his skin start to blister._

 _"_ _AAH! What gives?!" Kid Flash asked angrily._

 _"_ _Well… it is your body," Kent Nelson said simply._

 _"_ _Then let me control it!" he insisted, "With Fate's power and my speed –"_

 _"_ _Sorry, kid," Nelson interrupted, "Doesn't work that way. But you can see why I haven't put on the helmet in 65 years."_

 _"_ _And if Fate… loses this fight?" Kid Flash asked hesitantly._

 _Nelson's expression darkened,_

 _"_ _You see Inza before I do."_

 **Wally West  
** **Central City  
** **August 20, 11:55 CDT**

"OW! That hurts!"

"Oh, quit whining – I'm almost done!"

Wally West grumbled into a pillow as he lay on a couch in the living room of his house. His mom kneeled beside him, rubbing antibiotic cream onto his raw and blistered back.

"You try getting second degree burns and having someone smack some smelly ointment on it," Wally mumbled under his breath.

"I heard that," his mother said irritably.

Wally sighed,

"I wish this whole super-speed thing came with super-high-pain-tolerance."

His mom chuckled softly,

"Take what you can get… and with the amount of food you eat, you should be grateful you got a super metabolism."

Wally rolled his eyes as the doorbell rang.

"Coming!" his mother yelled, "Hurry up and get your shirt on, we don't want anyone to see –"

The door opened suddenly and a blonde woman from Wally's mom's book club walked inside,

"Hi Mary!" Her eyes scanned the room and they landed on Wally's scorched back. Her face dropped, "Oh, I'm sorry – I thought you said come in, and the door was open –"

Wally dove for his shirt as his mom hitched on a smile,

"Oh, hi Leanne! How are you?"

The woman's eyes flickered from Wally's back to his mom,

"I'm – I'm fine… Wallace, what happened to your back?"

Wally exchanged a look with his mom before shrugging,

"I, um, I took a shower the other night and I – well, there was a problem with our water heater, and the water was super-hot and – and when I got in the shower it burned my back."

Leanne put a hand over her heart,

"How dreadful! You _poor_ dear!"

Wally looked towards his mom for assistance. She got the hint and took a step forward,

"Our meeting isn't until tomorrow, Leanne. We had to reschedule because of Patty's trip, remember?"

The woman nodded,

"I do, I just wanted to return this to you," She rummaged through her bag before procuring a dog-eared copy of a novel, "I can't make it tomorrow and I didn't want to forget."

Wally's mom took it and smiled,

"Thank you, that was very kind."

"Oh, it's not a problem. I'm sorry for… interrupting," her eyes flickered back to Wally, "Wallace, dear, I hope you feel better soon."

"Thanks," Wally said awkwardly, rocking on his heels.

"I'll show you out," Wally's mom said as she led Leanne to the door.

When she was gone Wally rushed to his mom, holding out a roll of gauze,

"Quick, patch me up before anyone else sees!"

* * *

AN: The next episode ("Downtime") features Aqualad's trip to Atlantas and (aside from a brief altercation with Clayface at the beginning) it doesn't include a mission with the rest of the team. So the next chapter will skip right to episode 9 ("Bereft"). Don't forget to review! :)


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Hi everyone! Thanks for the favorites, follows and reviews! :) Just to be clear, I am basing this story on the TV series _only!_ It is too complicated to go through all of the time stamps for the episodes and the comic series and compare/work around them. Sorry! I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING.

* * *

 **Season 1, Episode 9: "Bereft"**

 **Kid Flash  
** **Bialya  
** **September 4, 08:03 EEST**

 _He couldn't go on much longer._

 _Kid Flash came to a neat stop, sending sand flying. Everything hurt. He put the mystery girl down and bent over with his hands on his knees, breathing heavily. He felt the girl watching him and he lifted his head to meet her gaze,_

 _"_ _Sorry. Running on empty – don't think I've eaten in a while."_

 _Kid Flash straightened up to check his stash, disappointment flooding through him when he found it empty,_

 _"_ _Been out here over 24 hours, or my cupboards wouldn't be bare."_

 _The words had barely left his mouth when something suddenly dropped from above. It landed right in front of them, sending sand billowing up in the air. Kid Flash shielded his eyes, and as the dust began to settle he was able to discern the figure of a shirtless teenage boy. There was something vaguely familiar about his appearance, but before he could identify what it was, the teenager gave a feral roar and rushed at him. He extended his arm and backhanded Kid Flash, sending him flying into the ledge of a cliff. His back collided with the solid rock and he let out a grunt of pain,_

 _"_ _UGH!"_

 _The force of the blow left the side of his face numb, and his back was throbbing from its impact with the cliff. With the wind knocked out of him, Kid Flash watched helplessly as the boy attacked the mystery girl. She flipped backwards and expertly shot three arrows at him. The boy fought onward, undeterred. She rolled away to dodge a punch, and the boy roared in inexplicable fury. Despite his discomfort, Kid Flash watched the mystery archer appreciatively,_

 _Beautiful_ and _talented?_

 **Wally West  
** **Central City  
** **September 6, 11:01 CDT**

Wally West avoided meeting his lab partner's gaze, but he could still feel him staring at his swollen, purple cheekbone. His left eye reduced to a slit from Superboy's punch, and despite his best efforts to hide the bruise, even a concealer developed by the Justice League was ineffective.

" _Psst!_ " Wally's lab partner suddenly hissed under his breath.

Wally ignored him, staring intently at his chemistry teacher as she gave instructions for the day's experiment.

"Use the cylinders to measure out equal amounts of oil and water –"

" _Psssst!_ " He whispered again, more urgently.

"– which do we expect to sit on top?"

Wally, still ignoring his partner's whispering, shot his hand in the air,

"Yes, Mr. West?"

"The oil."

"Why?"

"Because the oil's molecules are less dense than water's molecules."

"Very good! Now, after you shake the flask, use the clamp to attach the separating funnel –"

" _West!"_ His lab partner hissed.

Wally sighed and reluctantly turned to face his lab partner, a skinny blonde boy with enormous glasses,

" _What?_ " Wally whispered back exasperatedly.

" – and then pour in the mixture –"

" _What happened to your face?!"_

" – let it settle, and –"

" _It's nothing,_ " Wally hissed back, " _don't –_ "

"Mr. West!" His teacher said sharply, "is there something else you'd like to share with the class?"

"No, mam," Wally said hurriedly.

"Then please settle down," she cleared her throat, "as I was saying, after it has –"

Wally's lab partner nudged him under the table,

" _Were you in a fight?!"_

Wally pretended not to hear him, but his partner was persistent,

 _"_ _Who beat you up?"_

Wally clenched his jaw,

 _"_ _No one!"_

"– underneath the separating funnel. Then I want you to –"

" _Then what happened?!_ "

Wally sighed,

" _Look, I really don't want to –"_

"Mr. West!" His teacher's voice rang across the room, "I said that's enough. If I need to speak to you again I will put you in detention!" She glared at him for a moment before clearing her throat,

"Now, I want you to fill three different beakers. One with –"

Wally suddenly felt the spine of his lab partner's notebook collide with his elbow. He glanced down and saw a note scribbled in the margin of the paper:

 _What happened?_

Wally sighed and picked up his pencil inconspicuously:

 _LET __IT __GO!_

His partner read the note quickly and kicked him under the table. Wincing, Wally grudgingly picked up his pencil again:

 _Ran into glass door at my uncles – hit it so hard the whole thing shattered & I bruised my cheekbone_

It took his partner a few seconds to read the note, and then a few more to comprehend what it said, but when he finally understood he released a snort of laughter into the otherwise silent classroom.

"That's it!" His teacher exclaimed, "Both of you – detention after school!"

* * *

 **Artemis  
** **Bialya  
** **September 4, 08:04 EEST**

 _Even as she prepared to release her third arrow, Artemis knew it would do no good. The boy just kept coming. He was relentless – But so was she._

 _She could feel Kid Flash watching her as she rolled away to avoid being punched, and her stomach did a somersault that had nothing to do with her acrobatics. As the boy roared in fury, Artemis heard a faint whistling. Before she could recognize the threat, the missile had already exploded. The impact threw her backwards and she braced herself for the fall._

 _"_ _AAH!"_

 _Landing hard on her elbows and forearms, Artemis felt the sand sting her exposed skin. The heat from the missile radiated over her back, but she was far enough away to avoid any serious burns. Whiplash from her fall made her smack her forehead against the hard ground, and she lost consciousness for a few seconds. She woke up as two tanks rolled forward and the boy jumped out to attack them. Getting to her feet, Artemis addressed Kid Flash,_

 _"_ _Whose side is he on?!"_

 _"_ _Wanna stick around and find out?" He asked rhetorically before picking her up bridal style and sprinting in the opposite direction._

 **Artemis Crock  
** **Gotham City  
** **September 6, 09:10 EST**

The only sound filling the empty hallways was the rhythmic _clicks_ of Artemis's boots on the freshly waxed floors. This place was _huge._ She glanced at a map of Gotham Academy that she had received in the mail along with her acceptance letter, and found that she had walked straight past the main office. Artemis backtracked and scanned the doors until she found the right one. Turning the handle, a gust of cold air blew her hair off her shoulders as she walked inside,

"Hello?"

A small bespectacled woman peered at her from behind a computer,

"Hello, dear. How can I help you?"

"I'm here to register," Artemis answered, "I'm starting at the Academy this year."

"Freshman?" The woman asked, her eyes drifting to the computer screen.

"No. I – I was just awarded a scholarship," Artemis mumbled.

The woman's gaze flickered back to Artemis,

"Do you have your transfer forms?"

Artemis rummaged through her backpack for a moment before procuring several official-looking documents and handing them to the woman. She took the papers, but her eyes lingered on Artemis,

"What happened to you?"

Artemis followed her gaze and found her staring at her bruised forearms and swollen elbows.

"Oh… I rolled out of bed the other night," she gave a short laugh, "I woke up as I was falling and tried to stop myself, but I still landed pretty hard on my elbows."

"That must have been some fall!" The woman said as she flipped through the forms, "Were you in a bunk bed?"

"Uh, yeah," Artemis lied, "yeah, me and my sister share a room, so…"

"Oh, is your sister also a student at the Academy?"

"No. No, she decided to pursue… _other_ studies," Artemis answered slowly, looking away.

"Oh, that's nice," the woman said absently as she glanced up and smiled at her, "Everything seems to be in order here. Congratulations on receiving the Wayne Foundation Scholarship, it's a very substantial grant... Are you friends with his ward?"

"Who?"

The woman raised her eyebrows,

"Bruce Wayne's ward, Richard Grayson."

"Oh – no. No, I don't know him."

"He's starting as a freshman this year, you might run into him… I see you previously attended Gotham North. You'll find that the Academy has a very different atmosphere, but a student liaison will be assigned to help you adjust."

"Oh, I don't need a –" Artemis began, but the woman interrupted,

"It's protocol," she smiled softly, "Welcome to Gotham Academy, Miss Crock."

* * *

 **Robin  
** **Bialya  
** **September 4, 19:02 EEST**

 _"_ _Enough! Open fire!"_

 _This was all just_ too weird _._

 _The last thing Robin remembered was patrolling in Gotham with Batman – in_ March. _Now he was in Bialya being shot at by the Biyalian Republic Army – in_ September.

 _What was going on? He couldn't find the pieces to put this story together, but he didn't have time to dwell on that now – he wasn't sure how much longer he could dodge these bullets. He was outnumbered, dehydrated, and his head was pounding._

 _Just as he started to plan an escape, there was a gust of wind and clouds of dust were kicked up as Kid Flash came rushing to his aid, relieving the soldiers of their weapons,_

 _"_ _I'll hold that! Thanks!"_

 _Distracted by the sudden appearance of his best friend, Robin mistakenly allowed a soldier to get past his defenses. He tried to duck as a fist came flying towards his face, but he wasn't quick enough. The soldier's knuckles collided painfully with the side of his neck, and Robin's head was whipped to the side. He felt a burning a sensation run down his arm from his shoulder, but it disappeared seconds later, leaving a throbbing ache in his neck._

 _Determined to correct his mistake, Robin smacked the soldier's hand away and pushed him back before turning around and kicking him in squarely the gut. He watched him fall backwards until he sensed other soldiers approaching. Robin turned around, procuring a birdarang and poising himself for action, but before he could throw it, the soldiers were thrown backwards by some invisible force._

 _Perplexed, he turned around, looking for the source. He noticed a disturbance in the air a few feet away, and watched in awe as a female version of Martian Manhunter materialized before his eyes._

 _This was all just_ too weird.

 **Dick Grayson  
** **Gotham City  
** **September 6, 09:27 EST**

Dick Grayson casually sauntered through the halls of the Wayne Foundation tower, greeting the various employees as he made his way to the elevator. He whistled tunelessly as the doors closed and watched the arrow move sideways as the elevator made its ascent.

A soft _ding_ announced its arrival on the seventeenth floor and Dick ambled out, completely at ease amongst all the smartly dressed businessmen and women. He walked through the maze-like hallways until he came to a handsome mahogany door with an engraved plaque reading BRUCE WAYNE.

Turning the brass handle, he hitched on a charming smile to greet Bruce's secretary,

"Good morning!"

"Richard!" she exclaimed, "I didn't know you were stopping by today."

Dick shrugged, approaching the desk and resting his elbows on the edge,

"I got a little stir-crazy in the Manor so I decided to take a walk. You know, get some fresh air – stretch my legs… Is Bruce around?"

The secretary smiled at him,

"Mr. Wayne is in a meeting, but I can let him know you're here if –"

"I don't want to bother him," Dick interrupted, "do you know when he'll be done?"

"It could be a while… He's meeting with a representative from Star Labs about helping them rebuild their Philadelphia branch."

Dick grinned sheepishly,

"I probably should have called first…"

The secretary laughed,

"Take a seat, I'll have someone bring you some coffee."

Dick turned towards the waiting room and the secretary gasped,

"What's that on your neck?" She asked, craning her head to get a better look.

Dick's hand instinctively went to hide the maroon welt on his neck as he turned back around,

"What – this?"

The secretary nodded.

"Oh… I was helping our landscapers with some yard work the other day and I got bit by a spider," he shrugged, "It itches like crazy so I've been scratching it nonstop the past few days."

The secretary pursed her lips,

"I hope it's not serious. My sister was bit by a spider when she was vacationing in Australia and she had to spend a night in the hospital."

Dick shrugged unconcernedly as the secretary's phone started to ring,

"I'm sure I'll be fine. But you seem busy, and –" he waved a hand towards the conference room, "this meeting could take hours, so I think I'll just wait for Bruce back at home."

"Are you sure?" The secretary asked, one hand hovering above the phone receiver, "I can have someone get you a cup of coffee and –"

"We've got coffee at the manor, and our butler makes _the best_ cappuccinos," he smiled at her, "but thank you for offering."

"Anytime, Richard. I'll let Mr. Wayne know you stopped by," she smiled back before finally picking up the phone, "Wayne Foundation, how may I help you?"

* * *

AN: I did some research before I wrote Robin's part – after he was punched he experienced something called a "Burner" or a "Stinger," an injury to nerves in the upper arm! ALSO, the next two episodes don't feature a mission with Robin, Artemis, or KF. I'm thinking of doing a chapter for "Targets" with a special guest, but I haven't decided yet – what do you all think? Should I do a chapter featuring Red Arrow? Let me know! :)


	8. Chapter 8

AN: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING.

* * *

 **Season 1, Episode 10: "Targets"**

 **Red Arrow  
** **Taipei  
** **September 7, 22:16 NST**

 _Her fist came out of nowhere, though Red Arrow was grateful it was her knuckles that collided with his face rather than her Sai._

 _He stumbled back, nearly slamming into one of the golden statues. White lights decorated his vision as he watched Cheshire advance. His face was tender where she had hit him, but he ignored the pain as he blocked her next attack with his bow. He hated to admit it, but she was a spectacular fighter. Even though she was wearing a dress that was completely impractical for sparring, she still had the upper hand. There was an elegance about the way she moved – almost like she was dancing._

 _One step – she jumps on her hands._

 _Two step – she tries to kick him with her feet._

 _One step – he steps out of her reach._

 _One step – she flips backwards._

 _Two step – she flings her Sais at him._

 _One step – he deflects them with his bow._

 _Cheshire smirked at him as they came to a break in the choreography. She hadn't missed a beat in their deadly dance, and Red Arrow was grudgingly impressed._

 _In this tango,_ she _was the leader - he was just her partner._

 **Roy Harper  
** **Taipei  
** **September 8, 06:32 NST**

Tired, sore, and frustrated, Roy Harper boarded a plane back to America. Kaldur had offered him a ride home on the bioship, but he had already accepted one too many favors from the team.

After passing the first class quarters where he used to sit with Oliver, he began scanning economy for his seat. It was difficult navigating the aisle in his dark sunglasses, but he was determined to hide the indigo bruise surrounding his eye. He eventually found his seat next to an elderly woman wearing a hand-knitted scarf. Roy avoided eye contact as he approached, but he could feel the woman's gaze on him as he put his luggage in the overhead rack.

"You look like you've had quite a night."

Roy looked down. The woman was smiling at him, but he was in no mood for small talk,

"I guess you could say that," he muttered as he took his seat.

"First time to Taiwan?" She asked kindly.

"Yes. And hopefully my last."

"I'm sorry to hear that," the woman said, frowning, "this is my fifth time visiting. It's a very beautiful place. Did you visit the national park?"

"I didn't have much time for sightseeing," Roy said flatly.

"What brought you to Taiwan?" The woman asked.

"Business."

"Oh, what type of business do you work for?"

"Homeland security," Roy answered shortly.

The woman's eyes widened,

"Oh, were you here to protect Mr. Luther?"

Roy hesitated,

"Something like that."

There was a pause, and then the woman leaned towards him and spoke softly,

"Is that how you got that black eye?"

Roy reluctantly removed his sunglasses and turned to face the woman.

"No," he finally responded after a very pregnant pause, "I went out to a bar with some coworkers and I got into a disagreement with one of the locals."

"Oh my," the woman said.

"Yeah, well, I eventually made him see my point of view," Roy said menacingly.

The woman stared at him, her expression perturbed, but the flight attendants began calling for attention before she could respond. Roy turned to watch the safety demonstration, and the woman took the opportunity to discreetly shift her position so that she was seated farther away from him.

When the demonstration was over, she immediately busied herself with an in-flight magazine. Roy replaced his sunglasses and settled back in his seat. The woman didn't question him as they prepared to take off, but from the corner of his eye Roy could see her throwing him suspicious looks every now and again.

Smirking slightly, he closed his eyes and prepared himself for a nice, long, _quiet_ nap.

* * *

AN: I've never written Red Arrow before so I hope he is not too OOC! The next episode, "Terrors," focuses on M'Gann and Superboy – unfortunately, no Robin, Artemis, or KF – so the next chapter will skip right to episode 12! Don't forget to review! :)


	9. Chapter 9

AN: Hi everyone! I'm super sorry for the delay! I had this idea the other day and I decided to run with it! It's a little different than previous chapters – I decided to focus a chapter on M'Gann and Superboy and how they might explain their absences from school. Hope you enjoy! :) I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING.

* * *

 **Season 1, Episode 11: "Terrors"**

 **Superboy & Miss Martian  
** **Mount Justice  
** **September 13, 18:32 EDT**

 _M'Gann and Conner stood in the center of the cave, flanked by Aqualad, Red Tornado, and Martian Manhunter. All eyes were on Superman and Batman as the latter assigned them their first solo mission:_

 _"This past fourth of July, four ice villains staged simultaneous attacks. Mr. Freeze, Icicle Jr, Killer Frost, and Captain Cold were all easily apprehended. Perhaps_ too _easily. Cold and Frost were immediately sent to Belle Reve Penitentiary, a Federal Prison designed to house super criminals. The 17 year old Icicle Junior was sent to juvenile facility, Mr. Freeze to his usual cell in Arkham Asylum. But Freeze petitioned the court to be declared legally sane, and Junior sued to be tried as an adult. As a result, both await transport to Belle Reve – which seems to have been the goal all along, and I'm sending the two of you in to find out why._

 _"Who inside the prison will know their true identities?" Aqualad asked uncertainly._

 _"No one," Batman answered shortly, "We can't be certain the prison staff isn't compromised."_

 _M'Gann exchanged a look with Superboy. She didn't need to read his mind to know that they were thinking along the same lines._

 _This was a big undertaking, a_ serious _mission – but they were ready._

 _Ready to prove themselves. Ready to show the League that they had what it takes._

 _They had only one question:_

 _"But, Batman… what about school?"_

* * *

 **Conner Kent  
** **Happy Harbor  
** **September 18, 12:00 EDT**

The dismissal bell rang throughout the crowded classroom of Happy Harbor High School, prompting a sudden rustling of papers and jostling among students as they rushed to the door. Mr. Carr spoke loudly over the clamor to make himself heard,

"Remember everyone, your papers on Rhelasia are due next week! Mr. Kent –" he said quickly as Conner made his way to the door, "Can I have a word?"

Megan glanced at Conner uncertainly, who shrugged,

 _Go. I'll meet you at lunch._

Conner and Mr. Carr watched Megan disappear out the door. When it swung shut behind her they turned to face each other,

"You missed our lessons on Indonesia this week."

Conner shrugged,

"I was sick. I had a really bad _cold._ "

"I'm sorry to hear that," Mr. Carr said with a frown.

Conner stayed silent, staring at his teacher expectantly until he cleared his throat,

"Well, Conner, I called you aside because when you didn't show up for class this week and you didn't call out, I tried to get in touch with you or your family to make sure you were alright," He shuffled through some papers on his desk, "But when I had a look at your registration forms I noticed that you didn't have any emergency contacts listed."

"Any what?" Conner asked brusquely.

"Emergency contacts. Someone we can call if there is an emergency."

"Just call the Justice League," Conner said shortly.

"Most people put their parents or guardians…" Mr. Carr said after a brief pause.

"Oh."

Conner shifted uneasily. Who could he put? Definitely not Superman. Maybe Batman? But he didn't know his secret ID. He lived with Red Tornado –

"John Smith," Conner said, recalling Tornado's civilian ID, "he's my… guardian."

Mr. Carr quickly scribbled the information on Conner's form,

"Thanks, Conner. I'll bring this to the office so they can add it to their records."

"Can I go now?" Conner asked impatiently.

Mr. Carr nodded, smiling slightly,

"You sure can. I'm glad you're feeling better, Conner. I'll see you next week."

* * *

 **Megan Morse  
** **Happy Harbor  
** **September 18, 15:18 EDT**

Megan Morse hurried down the path to the football field, a duffle bag slung over her shoulder. Her cheerleading team, the Bumblebees, were all waiting on the pitch, talking and laughing amongst each other. As she approached, however, their voices died down and they gradually fell silent.

"Megan!"

Megan turned. Karen Beecher was striding over to her, pom-poms held in her tightly clenched fists,

"Where have you _been_ , girl _?_ You haven't showed up to practice all week!"

Megan bit her lip,

"I'm sorry! I haven't been myself these past few days, I really –"

"You can't just ditch on us with no notice! You're a part of a _team_ now!"

"I know, and I'm –"

"We need time to teach you our sets so you're ready for the first game!"

"I know, I –"

"Not to mention we have to start working on new cheers and routines for this season!"

Megan folded her hands and stared at her sneakers,

"I know and I am _so sorry_. I – I understand if you want to kick me off the team."

"Cut her some slack, Karen" Wendy Harris said, suddenly emerging from the huddle, "She just moved here – it's only her second week, and she just joined the team! She needs time to get settled, starting at a new school is hard!"

Karen considered her, her expression softening,

"I know, but we haven't practiced _all_ _week,_ Wendy! The first game is in –"

"We'll catch up!" Wendy interrupted, "We're the _Bumblebees!_ It's what we do! Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, right?" She asked, nudging her playfully.

"I know you're upset," Megan said, "But I _promise_ I'll catch up! I won't go to sleep until I know the routines by heart, I'll practice every day –"

"Alright, alright!" Karen said, swatting the air impatiently, "I was never going to kick you off the team!"

"You weren't?" Megan asked, her spirits lifting.

"Of course not! I just wanted to make sure the Bumblebees are your _number one_ priority. They are... aren't they?"

Megan bit her lip and discretely crossed her fingers behind her back,

"They are – I _promise._ "

* * *

AN: Please excuse Superboy's _cold_ pun, and M'Gann's comment on how she "hasn't been herself" – I couldn't help myself! I know these past two chapters have strayed from the norm, but the next will be right back on track! Don't forget to review! :)


	10. Chapter 10

AN: Hi everyone! Special thank you to the guest who informed me that Barbara is also a recipient of the Wayne Scholarship – I've adjusted chapter 7 accordingly :) As for this chapter: unfortunately (aside from the explosion seen on the surveillance tapes) Kid Flash was confined in twisted metal for most of the episode, so it will focus on Artemis and Robin!

* * *

 **Season 1, Episode 12: "Homefront"**

 **Robin  
** **Mount Justice  
** **September 22, 20:14 EST**

 _"_ _Robinlookout!"_

 _Robin turned, and his stomach dropped at the sight of a tidal wave looming over him._

 _He stood defenseless as it crashed around him, sweeping him off his feet. His back slammed against the generator and the water washed him off the ledge._

 _Robin's head was reeling as his raw and charred lungs screamed for oxygen – there was no way he was going to get out of this one. He was enfolded in a cylinder of water, and a current was pushing him up, towards the two androids. Thinking fast, he closed his eyes and let his body go limp. The water continued to encase him, and he felt his mind start to slip into oblivion. He fought against his pending unconsciousness, but he was suddenly too tired, and his body was too heavy._

 _Robin took an involuntary breath, and water flooded through his mouth and through his nose as he was slowly enveloped by darkness._

 **Dick Grayson  
** **Gotham City  
** **September 23, 12:03 EST**

"You should really get that cough checked out, Dick."

Dick Grayson laughed unconcernedly as he and Barbara Gordon sat down at an empty table in the middle of the crowded cafeteria,

"I'm fine, Barbara."

Barbara scowled at him,

"You spent all of Geometry coughing up a lung, I couldn't even hear half of the lecture."

Dick opened his mouth to respond, but was assaulted by yet another coughing fit.

"What is _wrong_ with you?" Barbara asked him when he finally settled down.

"Allergies," Dick said blithely as he began unwrapping his lunch.

"Allergies?" Barbara repeated skeptically.

"Yeah, it's all this dust that's been building up in the school over the summer," he gestured around the cafeteria, "it's a good thing that Alfred dusts the manor every day or I'd be like this all the time."

Barbara rolled her eyes as he coughed a few more times into his sleeve,

"I never knew you had allergies."

Dick shrugged,

"Everyone does. I mean who _isn't_ allergic to dust?"

"Yeah, I guess…" Barbara relented, but she narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him.

Dick smiled back innocently. Between the smoke inhalation from Red Inferno's fires, and Red Torpedo nearly drowning him, he had acquired a seriously _over_ whelming cough.

Black Canary had warned him to take it easy so it wouldn't develop into pneumonia, and Alfred had insisted that he take a sick day, but Dick was determined to keep up appearances – especially since he and Artemis now went to the same school.

But as he stared across the table at Barbara, he suddenly wished that he had heeded their advice –

Lying to her only added guilt to his list of ailments.

* * *

 **Artemis  
** **Mount Justice  
** **September 22, 20:15 EST**

 _Artemis was paralyzed with terror._

 _Superboy and Kid Flash were trapped in twisted metal, their heads just inches above the rising water; M'Gann and Kaldur were imprisoned in a cage of flames, both of their physiologies unfit to withstand that kind of heat; and Robin – her last cohort – was drowned._

 _She was alone._

 _And she had absolutely no idea what to do next._

 _From her spot in the vents, Artemis sobbed. She hugged her legs to her chest and forced her terrified mind to think,_

 _"_ _I surrender, I die with the others," she calculated, "but if I find a way out," she continued as she began to crawl, "out of the cave, out of the mountain – I can get help! Call in the league…"_

 _Artemis's sweaty palms slipped on the smooth surface, and she began tumbling down the duct._

 _"_ _AHH!"_

 _She suddenly fell through a grate and plummeted towards the ground. She landed on her outstretched arms, and upon impact with the hard floor she felt a sharp, jarring pain in her upper arm._

 _"_ _Three minutes."_

 _Artemis groaned in pain and defeat as she sat up, rubbing her aching appendage,_

 _"_ _Who am I kidding? Best I can do is hide… hope the league finds me before the reds."_

 _Artemis looked around and found herself in Wally's souvenir room. She got up and walked over to the shelves of knickknacks._

 _"_ _I know you understand," she said to the Cheshire mask as her mind drifted to a time long ago…_

 **Artemis Crock  
** **Gotham City  
** **September 23, 15:00 EST**

Hundreds of students flooded the hallways as the dismissal bell rang throughout Gotham Academy. Artemis Crock was among them, shouldering her way through the crowds on her way out of the building. She burst through the doors and inhaled deeply. The sun was still shining high in the sky, its rays resulting in an unseasonably warm day.

Artemis made her way over to an empty bench to wait for her ride home, shrugging off her blazer and rolling up her sleeves. She turned her face to the sky, a slight breeze rustling her hair, and she closed her eyes and sighed in contentment.

"Hey, Artemis!"

Her eyes snapped open and fell on the approaching figure of her student liaison,

"Hi, Bette."

"How are you?" she asked, taking a seat on the bench, "How was your second day at the academy?"

"Alright, I guess."

"Do you like your classes?"

Artemis shrugged noncommittally. It had been a long day, and she didn't get much sleep the night before. She spent most of it tossing and turning in bed; every time she closed her eyes she saw Red Torpedo and Red Inferno raiding the cave, and the look in Red Tornado's eyes as he sucked all the oxygen from the –

"Artemis? Hey, Artemis!"

Artemis jerked from her reverie,

"What?"

Bette arched an eyebrow,

"I asked if you liked your teachers."

Artemis shrugged, reaching up to tuck a stray stand of hair behind her ear,

"Yeah, they're fine. I –"

"What happened to your arm?" Bette asked suddenly.

Artemis looked down. The bluish-indigo welt from her fall at the cave was just visible under her rolled-up shirtsleeves.

"Oh. I – I slipped in the shower and hit my arm on the side of the tub."

Bette winced,

"That sounds painful."

Artemis shrugged,

"I've felt worse."

Just then, a small yellow school bus pulled up to the curb in front of the school. Only a handful of students lined up to board it – it was a just means of transportation for the few students whose butlers didn't pick them up in shiny black limos. Artemis, who didn't have the latter, stood up and swung her backpack over her shoulder,

"That's my ride. I'll see you tomorrow, Bette."

* * *

AN: Not my favorite chapter (which is unfortunate because this is one of my very favorite episodes) I had a lot of trouble with Artemis's part. Hopefully it's not as bad as I thought! Let me know what you think in a review :)


	11. Chapter 11

AN: Hi all! I have an important update! I went back to chapter 1 and re-wrote Wally's excuse. I just wasn't happy with the unicycle story. I initially wanted to use it to set the scene for his poor-excuse making skills (he is left-brained, after all) but I don't think it works well with the rest of the story, so I've scratched the idea and adjusted following chapters accordingly. _So_ if you're up for it, check back to chapter 1 and let me know what you think! I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING.

* * *

 **Season 1, Episode 13: "Alpha Male"**

 **Robin  
** **Northern India  
** **September 23, 21:45 IST**

 _Robin carefully stalked his way through the lush undergrowth of the jungle, Kid Flash in his wake. He still couldn't believe he was actually in India investigating wild gorilla attacks, but he also knew that Batman would never send the team on a wild goose chase – or, in this case, a wild ape chase._

 _He heard a sudden screech and looked turned around in unison with Kid Flash. Three gargantuan vultures, silhouetted by the moon, were descending upon them. Robin watched in disbelief as they approached with their claws bared. He put up his arm to protect his face, but still felt one vulture sink its talons into the exposed skin above his elbow._

 _It quickly flew off again, leaving four deep puncture wounds in his arm. Robin grit his teeth and reached in his belt for a birdarang,_

 _"_ _Thought vultures only ate dead meat!"_

 **Dick Grayson  
** **Gotham City  
** **September 24, 16:14 EST**

"Come on, come on, come on, come – YES!" Barbara Gordon took a step back from the foosball table in Wayne Manor and punched the air triumphantly, "And _that_ is how it's done!"

Dick Grayson scowled at her,

"How do you _do_ that?"

"Practice," Barbara responded proudly.

"You don't even _have_ a foosball table!"

"There's one at the police station. I used to play when I was younger and my dad took me to work with him."

"Oh…"

"Play again?" Barbra asked.

"No way! I've lost to you five times in a row – that's more than enough hits to my pride for one day."

"Then how about a round of pool?" She suggested, walking over to his side of the table.

Dick hesitated,

"I don't think so. Why don't we –"

"Come on!" Barbara interrupted, "This is your chance to redeem yourself!"

She playfully punched him in the shoulder and Dick flinched,

"OW!"

Barbara recoiled her fist and raised an eyebrow,

"I'm not _that_ strong… What's wrong with your arm?"

Dick mumbled unintelligibly under his breath, his face flushing.

"What? I can't hear you."

"I _said,_ " Dick shouted, "I had a doctor appointment the other day and I got a flu shot."

Barbara grinned wickedly,

"Aww, poor baby!"

Dick glared at her,

"It _hurts_! My whole arm is sore."

Barbara rolled her eyes,

"Come on, don't be such a wimp!" She glanced around the basement, "How about darts? You can use your other arm."

Dick face split into a devious grin. If he can hit a mugger with a birdarang from several yards away, he can _definitely_ hit the center of a plastic target,

"Okay, but fair warning: I'm a pretty good shot!"

"We'll see about that," Barbara grinned.

She grabbed a dart from the board and took a few steps back. Closing one eye she took her aim and sent the dart flying.

With a muffled _thud_ it landed smack in the middle of the bullseye. Dick gaped at her and she smiled back innocently,

"Did I forget to mention there's a dart board in the station, too?"

* * *

 **Artemis  
** **Northern India  
** **September 23, 21:45 IST**

 _Something in the water behind her suddenly splashed, and Artemis whirled around as an enormous crocodile jumped from the river. With a throaty growl, it lunged at M'Gann. She just managed to brace its jaw open with her hands and foot before it could clamp shut on her. Artemis reflexively notched an arrow in her bow and sent it flying to M'Gann's aid._

 _Before she could lower her weapon, she was abruptly catapulted into the air. As she began to fall, another crocodile grabbed ahold of her quiver and whipped her to the side._

 _"_ _AAH!"_

 _Her neck exploded with pain as she and her assailant broke the surface of the water. Submerged in the river, Artemis fought to remove the strap that was trapping her to the massive reptile. It began to roll around in circles, roughly dragging Artemis along. Her head was spinning from the motion and a lack of oxygen, and sharp pains were shooting up and down her neck._

 _The monster momentarily ceased its spiraling, and Artemis saw M'Gann torpedoing through the water towards her. They clasped hands, and M'Gann ripped Artemis's quiver strap before psychically propelling her away. Artemis fought to remain conscious as she desperately kicked towards the surface, but she was disoriented from the spinning, and her lungs were searing painfully. She started to panic as water filled her nose and mouth and she began to sink._

 _But then, the water suddenly parted and Artemis found herself on the bottom of the river, surrounded by a circular wall of water. She coughed violently and took deep gasping breaths as she stared up at M'Gann,_

 _"_ _Okay! Nearly drowning_ two _nights in a row, is_ way _less fun than it sounds!"_

 **Artemis Crock  
** **Gotham City  
** **September 24, 07:52 EST**

Artemis Crock pushed her way through a crowded hallway in Gotham Academy. It was like swimming in a sea of clones – everyone was wearing the same uptight uniform and entitled-rich-kid smirk on their face.

"Artemis! Hey, Artemis!"

She turned around at the sound of someone calling her name. A sudden, excruciating pain sparked through her neck and she winced as Bette Kane, her student liaison, fell into step beside her.

"OW! Oh. Hey, Bette."

"You'll never _believe_ what I just heard! Do you remember the freshman who took your picture on the first day of school? Do you know who he is?!" Better asked, oblivious to her discomfort.

"No," Artemis responded shortly, preoccupied with trying to massage the ache out of her neck.

" _Dick Grayson!"_

"Who?"

Bette gaped at her,

"Are you kidding? _Dick Grayson,_ Artemis! The _richest_ kid in Gotham!"

"Cool," Artemis said indifferently, kneading the back of her neck with her knuckles.

Bette, who was obviously expecting a different reaction, huffed incredulously,

"Did you even hear me?! Dick Grayson took _your_ picture on the first day of school! Dick Grayson – _the richest kid in Gotham_!"

"Yeah, so?" Artemis asked exasperatedly, "What's your point?"

Bette groaned in frustration,

"Come _on_ , Artemis! Don't be so naïve!" She paused, "what's wrong with your neck? Are you okay?"

Artemis, who was still kneading the back of her neck, dropped her hand immediately,

"Yeah, I just have a crick in my neck."

Bette raised an eyebrow,

"What? Why?"

Artemis shrugged, pushing her way past a gaggle of girls,

"The bus driver stopped short yesterday and I got major whiplash. But I should be fine in a couple of –"

Bette suddenly grasped Artemis's arm and dragged her back behind the huddled group of girls,

" _There he is!"_ She hissed under her breath.

Artemis followed her gaze, and sure enough, the raven-haired boy who had taken her picture on the first day of school was standing at a locker, piling books inside. She rolled her eyes and pulled her arm out of Bette's grasp,

"He's a _freshman_ , Bette. What happened to ignoring him?"

"Aren't you curious?"

A locker door slammed shut and Artemis and Bette both turned as Dick Grayson swung his backpack over his shoulder. His eyes fell on the pair and the corner of his lips twitched.

Something stirred in the back of Artemis's mind – there was something _familiar_ about that smirk…

The late bell suddenly rang, and Artemis jumped,

"Come on, let's get to class!"

* * *

 **Kid Flash  
** **Northern India  
** **September 23, 23:39 IST**

 _Kid Flash burst through the brush, past the trees and shrubbery, sprinting towards the gorilla aiming a Gatling gun at an unconscious M'Gann,_

 _"_ _Get your paws off her, you darn-dirty ape!"_

 _Monsieur Mallah turned around and Kid Flash's shoulder collided with his abdomen. He instantly rebounded off the gorilla's tough skin and landed on his back at an awkward angle. As he slid away, Kid Flash felt the muscles in his back protest violently as they were stretched to uncomfortable limits – speed was his forte,_ not _flexibility._

 _He grimaced in pain as the ground shook with the force of Mallah's impending footsteps. He looked up and found himself staring down the barrel of the gorilla's Gatling gun._

 _"_ _Uh – oh…"_

 _The gun began to hum and a harsh light gradually illuminated the inside of the barrel, blanching Kid Flash's face. As Mallah fingered the trigger, the barrel suddenly lurched upwards, seemingly of its own accord. It fired harmlessly into the sky above and Mallah growled as he turned around – M'Gann had regained consciousness._

 _Her eyes blazing green, the Martian had telepathically redirected Mallah's weapon away from him. The gorilla snarled, aiming the barrel in her direction, but before he could fire she psychically lifted him into the air and hurled him into the concrete wall of the compound._

 _Chunks of cement flew through the air, and when the dust settled Kid Flash saw that she had busted a hole right into the laboratory where they were holding Captain Marvel. Dashing inside, he stopped short as he came face-to-face with the mastermind behind the experimentations –_

 _"_ _It's The Brain!"_

 **Wally West  
** **Central City  
** **September 24, 10:10 CDT**

Wally West smirked as he read the final question on his exam:

 _QUESTION 30: will an atom with more protons than electrons have a positive or negative charge? Explain. (5 pts.)_

A sophomore chemistry class was no place for a science prodigy who had successfully re-created the experiment that caused the Flash's powers.

He quickly filled in the correct answer and glanced around at his classmates. They were all still working, some of them anxiously tapping their feet or risking glances at their neighbor's paper. To his left, Wally's lab partner was anxiously biting the end of his pencil as he stared at an uncompleted diagram of an atom.

Suppressing another smirk, Wally folded his test and made his way to the front of the room. His teacher eyed him uncertainly as he approached her desk,

"Do you have question?" she asked quietly.

"No, I finished my exam," Wally whispered back.

His teacher's eyebrows shot up,

"Already?"

Wally nodded and went to hand her his paper, but it slipped through his fingers and floated to the floor.

"Oh, sorry –"

He bent down to grab the exam, but an intense spasm of pain suddenly assaulted his back. He grunted in discomfort, his hand instinctively going to rub his lower back.

"Keep your eyes on your own papers, everyone!"

Wally glanced up. Half of the class was watching him uneasily while the other half was using the opportunity to sneak a peek at their neighbor's answers.

"Are you alright, Wallace?" His teacher asked softly.

Wally nodded, his hand still massaging his aching muscles,

"I'm fine… I helped my mom clean out the attic yesterday and I think I pulled a muscle lifting all the heavy boxes."

His teacher pursed her lip,

"If you've finished your exam you may go to the nurse."

Wally placed the paper firmly on her desk and turned back to his table to gather his belongings. His lab partner watched him incredulously, mouthing "you're done?"

Wally ignored him, zipping up his book bag and carefully slinging it over his shoulder. As he walked out of the room, he heard his teacher's voice call out to the rest of the class,

"Half an hour left to finish your exam, class!"

* * *

AN: Special shout out to Moonlight0007 and ilovemanicures for finding a typo in the last chapter! Thank you for pointing it out! :) As for this chapter – it also gave me a lot of trouble. I had to use my imagination to expand a bit upon Kid Flash's blurb, as there wasn't much to go on – I hope you don't mind! Let me know what you think :)


	12. Chapter 12

AN: I promise I haven't abandoned this fic! Life and writers block have gotten in my way, but I'm trying my best to get back on track! I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING.

* * *

 **Season 1, Episode 14: "Revelation"**

 **Artemis  
** **Bayou Bartholomew  
** **October 1, 19:58 CDT**

 _"_ _We will make our own fun – as we have been trained. Maneuver seven!"_

 _Catching on, Artemis ran towards Aqualad. Using his webbed hands as a step, she jumped up and propelled herself through the air to land her boot on Posion Ivy's face._

 _In her peripheral vision, Artemis saw Kid Flash thrown aside by Black Adam, but there was nothing she could do for him now – Ivy was advancing on her and she had no bow and arrows to defend herself._

 _Utilizing everything she learned from training sessions with Black Canary, Artemis pounced. She was no stranger to hand-to-hand combat, but it wasn't every day that she sparred with someone who could sprout throttling vines with a snap of her fingers._

 _Ivy jumped back and Artemis followed, but before she could land a punch, Ivy raised her arms and a vine as thick as her torso shot up from the ground. The tip of the vine slammed into her side with the force of a stampeding bull and she was thrown backwards._

 _"_ _Ahh!"_

 _The power immediately knocked the wind out of her, and Artemis felt all of the air whisked out of her lungs before she landed on the jungle floor with a thud. Staring up at the canopy of trees, she found herself unable to move a finger or draw a single breath. She was vaguely aware of Robin's batarangs exploding and decimating the satellite plant, but she was too preoccupied trying to catch her breath to celebrate their success._

 _She might not be underwater, but the sensation was strikingly similar drowning._

So much for not drowning three missions in a row, _she thought sourly._

 **Artemis Crock  
** **Gotham City  
** **October 3, 23:59 EST**

Artemis Crock emerged from the alleyway where the zeta tube disguised as out of order telephone booth was stationed. As she rounded the corner she heard a church bell chime in the distance, signaling midnight.

She quickened her pace, senses on high alert for muggers and other low lives that often prowled the streets of Gotham after hours – not that she was afraid, they were nothing that she couldn't handle – but on nights when the team didn't have a mission her curfew was midnight, and she was late enough without having to waste time fending them off.

Artemis sighed.

Training at the cave had run overtime, which was why she was rushing home in the first place. Black Canary was their den mother this week, and she was using the opportunity to hold daily training sessions. It was exhausting, but Canary had insisted that the back-to-back exercises would help increase their endurance. Today she had them run on the treadmills in the cave's gym – something that Wally found extremely entertaining as he watched from the sidelines with Captain Marvel catering to his every whim.

Artemis suddenly found herself smiling at the thought of the moronic redhead, and the realization immediately wiped the grin off her face.

Her apartment gradually came into view, and when she arrived at the stoop she found her neighbor passed out on the steps, an empty beer bottle in his hand. Rolling her eyes, she stepped over his snoring form and fished around in her pocket to retrieve her keys. They slipped from her fingers and landed with a clang on the cement porch.

Her neighbor immediately jerked awake, the empty bottle slipping from his grasp and shattering on the steps as he jumped up. He cursed fluently and quickly spun around, but he lost his balance and nearly toppled down the stairs. Grabbing the railing for support, he swayed precariously as his glassy eyes finally focused on Artemis,

"Oh. It's just you. Evening, Crotch."

Artemis didn't bother correcting her surname, she just nodded and bent down to retrieve her keys. The hem up of shirt rode up, reveling a nasty black and blue decorating her flank.

Her neighbor whistled,

"That's quite some bruise you've got there!"

Artemis quickly stood up and pulled her shirt down,

"It's nothing," she said shortly.

"Sure doesn't look like nothing!" Her neighbor said before belching loudly.

Artemis ignored him, trying to fit her key into the broken lock.

"What did you get yourself into this time?" Her neighbor asked, "Were you out stirring up trouble? Is that why you're home so late?"

Artemis continued to ignore his existence and he grinned wickedly,

"Ah, I see. Was it another family reunion?"

Artemis abandoned her struggling and pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration,

"I walked into the corner of my kitchen table."

There was a short pause, and then her neighbor sniggered,

"You did _what_?"

Artemis huffed impatiently and turned to glare at him,

"I got home late last night and I was trying to sneak inside so I didn't turn on the lights and I walked into the corner of the kitchen table – it was an accident, alright?!"

Her neighbor sniggered again and arched an eyebrow,

"Home late two nights in a row?" He hiccupped and then wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, "late-night rendezvous with someone special?"

Artemis snorted in disgust before determinedly turning her back on him and shoving her key into the lock. Forcing it to turn, she shouldered open the door and theatrically slammed it shut on her neighbor's raucous laughter.

* * *

 **Kid Flash  
** **Bayou Bartholomew  
** **October 1, 20:03 CDT**

 _"_ _The Helmet of Fate!"_

 _Kid Flash looked up in horror as Aqualad procured the Helmet of Fate from his duffel bag. His stomach contracted fearfully at the sight of the golden helmet. He hadn't told anyone about his experience with Nabu because that would mean openly acknowledging the existence of magic – but it also meant that no one knew how close he had come to becoming the helmet's next host. If it weren't for Kent Nelson, Fate might have never released him. As he watched Aqualad prepare to put on the helmet, he made the split decision to shelve his pride and warn his teammate,_

 _"_ _No, Aqualad, don't!"_

 _A fist suddenly appeared out of nowhere, crashing into his face with immense force. Kid Flash was sent hurtling into a tree, and he heard something snap in his arm as he collided painfully with the trunk._

 _"_ _UGH!"_

 _Agonizing pains shot through his arm as he fell to the muddy ground with a soft_ thud. _He knew it was broken, but that was least of his problems now – Aqualad had put on the helmet. He struggled to his feet, his throbbing arm hanging limply by his side,_

 _"_ _Oh, dude."_

 **Wally West  
** **Central City  
** **October 3, 17:19 CDT**

Wally West trudged up to his front door, his feet dragging on the stairs. He was exhausted, hungry, and his arm was itching in a spot under his cast that he couldn't reach. All he wanted to do was guzzle down a quick dinner and collapse on his bed.

Unfortunately, the weight of his backpack on his spine reminded him that he had a history paper to write if he wanted to meet the deadline and receive a halfway-decent grade.

With his mind on the hours of work ahead, Wally didn't realize what he was walking into until it was too late. Swinging open his front door, he froze with one foot over the threshold as he took in the scene: about a dozen woman were seated around his living room, all holding the same paper-back novel.

 _Oh._

 _Oh no._

"Wallace!"

"Why, you've grown a head since I've last seen you!"

"Come inside, you're letting in the chill!"

Accepting the invitation into his own house, Wally reluctantly let the door slam shut behind him. With everything going on he had completely forgotten to check the calendar for his mom's upcoming book club meeting. He tried to hide his casted arm behind his back to avoid awkward questions, but the elderly woman was not easily deceived:

"What's that on your arm, Wallace?"

Sighing and resisting the urge to speed up to his room, he procured his arm and showed the group his cast. Several women gasped and the elderly woman pursed her lips,

"What happened to you?"

Wally sighed and then forced a grin,

"It's kind of a funny story… I slept through my alarm yesterday, so I was running late for school –"

The elderly woman _tutted_ disapprovingly but Wally ignored her,

"I was in such a rush to get ready that I didn't notice my shoes were untied until I tripped on the laces when I was leaving my house."

"Oh my!"

"That's terrible!"

Wally shrugged,

"I tried to catch myself, but I landed sideways on my arm and – _crack!_ " he snapped his fingers for emphasis and a few women winced, "broke my ulna."

The elderly woman muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "cumbersome" under her breath while the rest of the group expressed their sympathies.

Wally shifted the weight of his book bag from one shoulder to the other and took a hesitant step towards the stairs,

"Yeah, well… It was nice seeing you all," he lied, waving his casted hand towards the group, "but I have to –"

"Who's _Artemis,_ Wallace?" the elderly woman asked suddenly, "Is that your girlfriend?"

Bemused and slightly alarmed, Wally followed her gaze to the point on his cast where Artemis had signed her name.

He felt the blood rush to his face, but for some reason he found himself less repulsed by the question than he would have thought possible.

"Oh, Wallace, you have a _girlfriend_?"

"When can we meet her?"

"Oh, how _lovely_!"

The book club members continued to gush over the ridiculous notion, and Wally was suddenly grateful for his history essay if it meant that he had an excuse for escaping this mortifying conversation.

* * *

 **Robin  
** **Bayou Bartholomew  
** **October 1, 20:04 CDT**

 _"_ _Wonder Boy! You are mine!"_

 _From his spot on the ground, Robin glared up at the Joker as he laughed manically, brandishing two shiny silver switchblades._

 _He jumped to his feet, narrowly dodging the Joker's erratic swings. His deranged cackle was ceaseless, and Robin fought to block out the disturbing sound. The Joker continued to lunge at him, his motions unpredictable. There was a sudden flash of silver, and Robin felt a searing pain as the tip of one blade slashed the exposed skin under his mask._

 _Determined to put some distance between himself and the sharpened knives, Robin back flipped, splashing through the mud. The Joker's eyes narrowed and his grin widened dangerously,_

 _"_ _Always wanted to carve this bird!"_

 **Dick Grayson  
** **Gotham City  
** **October 2, 08:45 EST**

Dick Grayson stood at his locker in Gotham Academy, unconsciously unpacking his book bag while his mind mulled over the mission from last night. The team had performed well, and the outcome was undoubtedly a success: the plant attacks had ceased as soon as he and M'Gann had destroyed the satellite plant in Bayou Bartholomew, and every member of the Injustice League was now safely behind bars – but why did he have a nagging feeling that he was missing something?

Dick shook his head in frustration. He was becoming as paranoid as Batman.

Suddenly, his locker door slammed shut and he found himself face to face with a very angry Barbara Gordon. Feigning oblivion, Dick smiled at her,

"Hey Barb! What's up?"

Barbara shot him a nasty look,

"Don't _what's up_ me. Why have you been ignoring my calls? And –" she abruptly grabbed his shoulder and turned him around so that he was facing her, "what have you done to your face?!"

Dick grinned sheepishly, reaching up to prod the butterfly bandage covering the slash on his cheek,

"What, this? It's nothing, don't worry –"

"Cut it out, Dick," Barbara said sharply, "What happened?"

Dick sighed, relenting only because she was so angry,

"Bruce donated a bunch of money to the old animal shelter downtown. When we went to deliver the check the owner let me hold a cat, but it got spooked and scratched me with its claws."

Dick watched her as she considered this. He could tell by the way her eyebrows pulled together that she didn't believe it, but before she had the chance to challenge him, he shrugged and smiled,

"I'm more of a dog person, anyway."

The corner of Barbara's lips twitched, but she quickly pressed her mouth into a flat line as they started making their way down the hallway.

"So what's your excuse for ignoring all my calls? Did a lizard eat your phone?"

"Ha – ha," Dick said dryly, "I haven't been ignoring your calls I've just been… busy."

"Busy?" Barbara repeated skeptically, "Look, I get it if you –"

Dick suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her none too gently into the nearest doorway.

"Dick, what the –"

"Sorry!" Dick said hurriedly, his back against the door, "I just saw my – my English teacher. I still haven't handed in my essay, and every time I see him he asks me about it."

In truth, he had seen Artemis – his alter-ego's teammate, but a stranger to Dick Grayson. To preserve his secret identity, Bruce had forbidden him from allowing Artemis to see the scratch on his face – an injury that she would surely recognize on Robin.

"This is a janitor's closet," Barbara said shortly.

She glared at him in the semi-darkness, and Dick quickly weighed his options:

Stay in the closet and risk infuriating Barbara even further, _or_ leave the closet and risk blowing his secret identity.

Heavy with regret, he chose the former.

"I know, and I'm so –"

"What's going _on_ with you?" Barbara snapped.

"Nothing," Dick said, slightly taken aback.

"Whatever," Barbara said, pushing him aside and wrenching the door open, "give me a call when you're ready to tell me how you _really_ got that scratch."

She stalked out and slammed the door shut, leaving Dick alone and completely in the dark.


	13. Chapter 13

**Season 1, Episode 15: "Humanity"**

AN: I know it's been forever, and I am so incredibly sorry that it's taken me so long to update! School and life have gotten the better of me (again) but I have most of the next chapter done so I promise it won't take me nearly as long to post that! In other news, nothing _too_ significant happened to Dick, Artemis, or Wally in this episode so I decided to dedicate the chapter to Zatanna, especially since we don't see too much of her in season 1. I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING.

* * *

 **Zatanna**

 **Yellowstone National Park**

 **October 10, 20:31 MDT**

 _Zatanna knew it was all a farce, but it was still unsettling to see Red Tornado take out the entire team. She didn't know the full story behind his betrayal – her father refused to talk about it – but she had deduced that when his siblings raided the cave Tornado had sided with them before taking off._

 _Now she stood in the midst of her fallen comrades, completely alone and unsure of her opponent's true alliance. Throwing caution to the wind, she ran up to face him, attempting to formulate a decent spell –_

 _"_ _Etaerc a … a… dleihs dnuora ym –"_

 _Tornado's cold, metallic hand suddenly clamped around her throat. She had been expecting something like this, but was still taken aback at the abruptness. His fist clenched, effectively cutting off her air supply._

 _He drew her face close to his, and she tried to stay calm, but the pressure on her neck was intense and she really couldn't breathe._

 _It was possible that Tornado didn't know his own strength – but it was also possible that his message was a ruse, a ploy to get them to let their guard down._

 _Maybe he really was a traitor._

 _Either way, her life was in his hands now – so she did what he said: play dead._

 _Closing her eyes, Zatanna feigned unconsciousness, and seconds later she felt his grip lessen before he tossed her down beside the rest of the team._

 **Zatanna Zatara**

 **Mount Justice**

 **October 10, 23:58 EDT**

From her spot on an examination table in the Med Bay, Zatanna watched her father pace the length of the cave, shouting reprimands at Batman and Black Canary. The last time she had seen him this upset was when he had found out that she'd been using a duplication spell to sneak out of the house.

"Unbelievably irresponsible!" Zatara roared, "Anything could have happened to her!"

Zatanna rolled her eyes. She was torn between anger and exasperation at his insufferable coddling – she was _fourteen!_ When was he going to stop treating her like a child? Zatara was red in the face, but both Batman and Black Canary appeared indifferent to his shouting. On the contrary, Batman looked bored, and Black Canary was preoccupied with examining the bruises circling Zatanna's neck –

There were 5 oval-shaped contusions, one for each of Red Tornado's fingers.

" – could have snapped her neck!" Zatara roared, "I see now I was right to have my reservations about your little team! _Good kids_ – HA! Good kids don't break rules set for their own protection!"

"They're kids," Canary said patiently, turning away from Zatanna, "breaking rules is what they do."

"Not my Zatanna! I raised her better than that!"

"I admit that the team's actions were reckless," Batman said slowly, "and you can rest assured that I will be meeting with Aqualad to discuss the repercussions of their actions. But considering the situation, the team's perseverance proved–"

"It proved nothing except that they are still too young and immature to have any involvement with the League!"

"That's the purpose of the team, Giovanni," Canary explained, "they're not ready for the league, but they've outgrown being sidekicks. They need a new challenge, and the team lets them operate independently while still remaining under the league's supervision."

Zatara huffed, his gaze shifting to Zatanna,

"Well how will she explain these bruises? Do you expect me to keep her home until they heal? She has school, she has –"

"Of course we don't," Canary interrupted, the faintest hint of annoyance evident in her voice, "I've had plenty of bruises on my neck and they're fairly easy to hide, especially with the weather getting cooler. Trust me, you can use –"

"The last time I trusted you my daughter nearly died!" Zatara said, flaring up again.

"Tornado wasn't going to kill us!" Zatanna interjected, "he had to make it look good so the other Reds didn't suspect anything! He gave us a warning – it was all an act! I knew what I was doing, dad, I'm not a child!"

"Oh, really? Well you certainly acted like one today! Sneaking off without permission, lying to Black Canary about your intentions – what were you thinking, Zatanna?"

"I was thinking that I could help!" Zatanna said sharply, "The league wasn't getting anywhere with their investigation, so Robin came up with a different approach, and Kid Flash suggested we question Ivo, and _I_ was the one who made him talk! They couldn't have done it without me, dad!"

"And now you've put yourself in danger! Ivo is going to remember your face and –"

"And what's wrong with that?" Zatanna asked, "What's the point in teaching me magic if you're not going to let me use it?"

"That's enough! This is not the time or the place for this discussion!" Zatara said hotly, "You deliberately disobeyed me and the entire League today, which shows that you are not ready for the responsibility of the team!"

"But dad –"

 _"_ _I said that's enough!"_

"Giovanni –" Canary began cautiously, and Zatara whipped around to face her,

"Is she well enough to come home?" he asked abruptly.

Canary sighed,

"Yes. The scans show no internal damage to her hyoid or larynx. Give it a few days, a week at most, and the swelling will start to come down. Until then, just use a scarf or a high-necked sweater to hide the bruises."

Zatara sighed in relief,

"You're lucky it's not worse. Now come, Zatanna. We're going home."

Without sparing Canary or Batman another glance, Zatara turned and marched from the room. Zatanna hopped down from the table and made to follow him, but Batman rested a hand on her shoulder,

"Your father is right to have his concerns," he said, "there are a lot of risks that come with this job. The Red's almost killed the team when they raided the cave, and most of them have had years of training."

"What he's trying to say is that joining the team isn't a decision you should take lightly," Canary explained, "But you did good work today, Zatanna. And for what it's worth, I think you would make a great addition to the team."

"But my dad –" Zatanna began.

"Will come around. Just give him some time."

Zatanna sighed impatiently and crossed her arms,

"I just wish he'd stop treating me like a child."

Black Canary smiled,

"Don't try to grow up _too_ fast."

* * *

AN: I hope Zatara is not too OOC – I had a really hard time finding the line between concerned father and controlling father. I promise I will have the next chapter out ASAP! Thank you for your patience to everyone who follows this!


	14. Chapter 14

AN: I can't believe it's been over a year since I have updated this story. Life and school have been extremely overwhelming – and to be honest I've had a lack of motivation and inspiration to finish this fic. BUT with the triumphant return of Young Justice I am re-motivated to pick up right where I left off! Which happens to be at one of my favorite episodes – "Failsafe!" I took a slightly different approach for this chapter. The canon blurbs are based on a combination of the events from "Failsafe," and the therapy sessions in "Disordered." Instead of physical injuries, the team will be making up excuses to explain their downcast moods. I'm going to try to address the excuses used by every member of the team in two parts. This first part is focused on Wally, Dick and Artemis. I hope it will be worth the wait! :) I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING.

* * *

 **Season 1, Episodes 16 / 17: "Failsafe" / "Disordered" (Part I)**

 **Kid Flash  
** **Arctic  
** **October 16**

 _"We may not have a few minutes!"_

 _Kid Flash watched in horror as two spacecrafts came rocketing towards them._

 _"Miss Martian, open fire!" Aqualad shouted telepathically._

 _"Can't! Weapons systems are offline to incorporate the new cannon! And that's not fully integrated either!" M'Gann yelled back._

 _"Got you covered!" Artemis shouted as she shot three arrows at the approaching ships, "Get inside! I'm almost there!"_

 _From atop the bioship, Kid Flash saw one ship explode on impact while the other plummeted towards the ground. It skidded across the snow before coming to an abrupt stop. The cannon suddenly directed itself towards Artemis, lighting up as the disintegration beam prepared to fire._

 _"Artemis! Behind you!" M'Gann warned._

 _Kid Flash watched, frozen with a sudden, unexplainable, gripping terror, as Artemis turned around, poising an arrow in her bow –_

 _But it was too late._

 _Blinding light shot from the cannon, engulfing Artemis where she stood._

 _"Artemis!" M'Gann shouted in horror._

 _"Artemis!" Kid Flash heard his own voice echo across the tundra._

 _He felt something shatter in his chest as the light faded and revealed that the spot where Artemis once stood was vacant._

 _No._

 _No!_

 _NO!_

 _Something wasn't right, this wasn't happening – this_ couldn't _be happening!_

 _There was a fire raging in his chest, a tsunami in his stomach, and a twister in his mind. He couldn't control the fury burning in his heart, the grief churning in his gut, or the thoughts spiraling around in his head._

 _"Get inside! All of you!" Aqualad demanded as he rushed forward, brandishing his water-bearers at the ship._

 _Ignoring the order, Kid Flash stood rooted to the spot and watched wrathfully as the ship exploded in a burst of flames,_

 _"They're dead! Every single alien – if it's the last thing I do!"_

 **Wally West  
** **Central City  
** **October 17, 07:28 CDT**

Wally West wrapped his blanket tighter around his shoulders as he stared at the glowing red numbers on his alarm clock. He hadn't slept a wink all night, and in 2 minutes his alarm was going to go off, signaling the start of a day that he was completely and indisputably unprepared to face.

The sound of the disintegration ray had kept him up all night, resonating in his ears like some kind of terrorizing tinnitus.

The imaginary loss had consumed him in a grief all too real. It wasn't just the death of the league, or of his aunt and uncle, or even the loss of his own life that had sent him into mourning – it was the loss of one particular teammate. As much as Wally hated to admit it, when Artemis was disintegrated he felt like a little piece of him went with her.

He credited this to the fact that she was the first member of the team to go – he would have felt that way about whoever they lost first. It had nothing to do with the archer herself – _obviously._

The sound of Wally's alarm suddenly split through the silence, but instead of turning it off or pressing the snooze button, he pulled a blanket over his head and let the blaring noise drown out the sound of the disintegration ray still echoing in his ears.

Over the din he heard footsteps approaching, and a moment later a pillar of light spilled into his room as someone opened the door,

"Wally?"

Peeking out from beneath his blanket, Wally found his mom standing in the doorway.

"Are you going to turn your alarm off? Or are you planning on waking up the entire city?"

Grumbling incoherently, Wally silenced his alarm but made no move to get out of bed.

"You'd better get up soon or you'll be late for school," his mom warned.

"Mmfhmm…"

"Come on Wally, I made pancakes for breakfast."

"I'm not hungry," he mumbled.

There was a short pause, and then his mom chuckled,

"I haven't heard you say _that_ in years."

When he didn't respond, his mom came over to sit on the corner of his bed,

"Wally…" she began cautiously, "did something happen? Is there anything that you want to tell me?"

"No," Wally said, sitting up slowly, "I – I just think I have the stomach bug or something."

His mom put her palm against his forehead,

"You don't feel warm – well, not any warmer than usual."

Wally shrugged,

"Well maybe it was food poisoning from the cookies M'Gann made, or – or something. I don't know. I think… I just want to sleep it off, okay?"

"Okay…" his mom said hesitantly, "I'll call the school to let them know you'll be staying home today."

Wally nodded and reburied himself in his blankets. He closed his eyes as his mom closed his door, and in the darkness he heard Artemis's voice resound in his mind:

 _"Got you covered! Get inside! I'm almost there!"_

* * *

 **Robin  
** **Smallville  
** **October 16**

 _"No," Martian Manhunter said suddenly, "My mind is clearer now. The disintegration ray is exactly that – there is no detention facility, no prisoners to rescue… Our mission holds no purpose."_

 _Robin felt his guts wrench as his suspicions were confirmed._

 _"No! You're wrong!" Kid Flash yelled angrily, "The zeta radiation proves she's alive! She's – "_

 _"Stop it, KF!" Robin said sharply, grabbing him by the shoulders and spinning him around so that they were face-to-face, "I've been scanning for league and team signals since we got inside – they're_ not _here!… Artemis is gone."_

 _Robin felt his stomach twist violently as Kid Flash's expression fell. Through the mind link he could feel everything he was trying to suppress. His overwhelming grief, his desperation, his denial – his anger._

 _Robin's heart ached at his friend's inexpressible distress, but he blocked it all out like Batman had taught him, and he powered on,_

 _"But our mission still holds purpose – to destroy this mothership."_

 **Dick Grayson  
** **Gotham City  
** **October 17, 18:08 EDT**

Dick Grayson sat on the edge of a weight lifting bench in Wayne Manor's gym. He was supposed to be working out, but for the past half hour he had been staring at the indentation he had punched in the wall last month.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop thinking about it.

It was like a video of the stimulation was on replay in his mind. He kept reliving every single detail of the exercise – from the second Artemis died, right up to the moment everything exploded in flames around him.

He gripped his head between his hands.

How had things gone so badly? How had he _let_ things go so badly?

Wally's face suddenly flashed to the forefront of his mind. Dick remembered the look in his eyes when he told him that there was no teleporter, when he realized that he was going to die – when he understood that he, Dick Grayson, had lured him into the mothership not to save Artemis – but to sacrifice himself.

How can he live with the guilt of knowing that he was responsible for his best friend's death?

Dick was suddenly jerked from his reverie by the sound of someone clearing their throat. He looked up and saw Alfred standing in the threshold, watching him,

"Good evening, Master Richard."

"Hi, Alfred," Dick said, returning his gaze to the hole in the wall.

"Dinner is ready. I made a pot of French onion soup. I suggest you come upstairs before your serving gets cold."

"I'll be there in a minute."

"Master Bruce has requested your company."

"Tell him to eat without me," Dick said flatly.

"Is something troubling you?" Alfred asked after a brief pause, "You haven't been yourself since you returned from the cave last night."

Dick sighed. He was sure that Bruce had briefed him about the stimulation, but he was in no mood to discuss his failure. Instead, he grabbed at the first excuse that popped into his mind, which also happened to be partially true:

"Barbara isn't answering my texts – I think she's upset that I bailed on our plans yesterday."

Alfred raised an eyebrow,

"I'm sure Miss Gordon will come around… Is that the _only_ thing that's on your mind?"

Dick knew what Alfred was trying to do but he wasn't going to take the bait,

"I just hate lying to her. About everything – Robin, the team…" his voice trailed off and he shrugged, "I know it's all part of the gig, but that doesn't make it easy."

Alfred sighed,

"Just remember that by keeping her in the dark you are keeping her safe. Now come, Master Bruce is waiting on us and we both know how much he despises tardiness."

* * *

 **Artemis  
** **Mount Justice  
** **October 23,** **17:36 EST**

 _The waterfall on the wall of the cave was supposed to be comforting, but the sound of the tinkling water only added to Artemis's anxiety._

 _"Look, me dying during the exercise might have started things going south – but I was coma girl," she said sarcastically, "missed out on all the_ fun _of forgetting it wasn't real. So, no trauma. No need for the shrink wrap."_

 _"You're too tough to need help," Black Canary said flatly._

 _"Whatever," Artemis responded, looking away and bringing her feet up on the seat, "Maybe."_

 _"Or maybe too tough to_ admit _you need help," Black Canary suggested, leaning forward, "Artemis, it's not a sign of weakness to open up to your friends."_

 _Artemis dug her fingers into her arm,_

 _"I know that," she said through her teeth._

 _"But you still keep secrets from them."_

 _Artemis felt her heart skip a beat, and she clenched the armrests as she quickly sat up,_

 _"_ You _won't tell them! You can't!"_

 _"I won't," Black Canary said calmly, "But you should. You could start by admitting you're not really Green Arrow's niece."_

 _Artemis scoffed,_

 _"Right. Can you imagine what_ Wally _would do with that?"_

 _"Interesting…" Black Canary said slyly, "The person you're most worried about – is Wally?"_

 _Artemis felt her heart stop, and her eyes widened in surprise as she looked up,_

 _Was it really_ that _obvious?_

 **Artemis Crock  
** **Gotham City  
** **October 23,** **20:19 EST**

Artemis Crock stood in the hallway of her apartment, staring at a framed photograph hanging outside of her mother's room. It was one of the very few mementos she had from her childhood – a simple snapshot from a disposable camera of her and Jade eating chocolate ice cream cones. She wrapped her arms around her torso as she stared at the smiling faces and Black Canary's voice echoed in the back of her mind:

" _You could start by admitting you're not really Green Arrow's niece."_

Artemis grit her teeth – admitting that she had no relation to Green Arrow would mean coming clean about who she's _really_ related to, and there was no saying how the team would react to _that_ bit of news.

Although...

As much as the idea terrified her, if she told them the truth she wouldn't have to hide anymore. There'd be no more lying and sneaking around, and she wouldn't have to constantly be on guard or always feel on edge – that is, if they didn't kick her off the team first.

Was her position secure enough?

Had she proved herself a loyal comrade?

Was it worth the risk?

She turned away from the picture and marched into the kitchen. Her mom was at the stove heating a pot of tea, but she looked up at her daughter's dramatic entrance,

"Artemis?"

"What, mom?" She said impatiently, wrenching the refrigerator open to stare at its contents.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, everything's great."

"Are you sure?" Her mom asked, "You seem troubled."

"I said I'm great," Artemis snapped.

She scanned the contents of the refrigerator before deciding she wasn't hungry and slammed the door shut, catching a glimpse of her mom's bewildered expression in its reflection.

Guilt squeezed her guts, but how could she possibly explain to her mother that she's ashamed of her past – ashamed of _her_?

Taking a deep breath, Artemis turned around to face her,

"I… I had a rough week at school," she said with a shrug.

"Oh, Artemis _,_ " her mom said softly, offering her a cup of tea, "what happened?"

"Nothing _happened_ … It's just – I'm still trying to get used to the change. You know, adjusting to the Academy and – and everything."

Artemis took a sip of her tea as her mom frowned,

"Maybe you should take a break from the team so that you can focus on –"

Artemis began coughing as she choked on her tea,

"No!" She said in between coughs, "I mean – no. No, I'm not going to do that."

"Artemis –"

"The team isn't the problem – there _isn't_ a problem. Everything's fine. I'm fine."

Her mother raised an eyebrow,

"But –"

"Really, mom. I'm okay."

Artemis forced a smile, and she heard Black Canary's voice echoing in the back of her mind again:

 _"Or maybe too tough to admit_ _you need help."_

* * *

AN: I hope it was worth the wait! I'll try to have the next chapter posted ASAP! Thank you to everyone who still follows this! :) How is everyone liking season 3 so far?! I think it's great! But I'm really hoping KF will make a triumphant return! I don't know if that's going to happen, though - with the introduction of all these new characters it makes me feel like the want to move on from the OG team. I'm not so sure how I feel about that, but I have complete faith in the producers!


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